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THE DRAMATIC
WRITINGS OF
RICHARD EDWARDS
THOMAS NORTON
AND
THOMAS SACKVILLE
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The
'Dramatic Writings
of
RICHARD EDWARDS
THOMAS NORTON
AND
THOMAS SACKVILLE
COMPRISING
Damon ana Plthias — Palamon and Arcyte (Note) —
Gorboduc (or Ferrex and Porrex] — Note-Book and
Word-List
EDITED BY
JOHN S. FARMER
ILontJoti
Privately Printed for Subscribers by the
EARLY ENGLISH DRAMA SOCIETY, 18 BURY STREET
BLOOMSBURY, W.C,
MCMVI
CONTENTS
DAMON AND PITHIAS, BY RICHARD EDWARDS . ,
ARCYTE (NOTE), BY RICHARD
PALAMON AND
EDWARDS
PACK
I
I84
GORBODUC (OR FERREX AND PORREX), BY THOMAS
NORTON AND THOMAS SACKVILLE .... 85
NOTE-BOOK AND WORD-LIST 155
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fctwo the cnofte faithfulkll : M:
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[Reduced Facsimile of Title-page of " Damon and
Pithias," by Richard Edwards from a copy now in the
British Museum.]
ED.
Cije
ARISTIPPUS, A PLEASANT GENTLEMAN
CARISOPHUS, A PARASITE
DAMON "|
> Two GENTLEMEN OF GREECE
PITHIAS J
STEPHANO, SERVANT TO DAMON AND PITHIAS
WILL, ARISTIPPUS' LACKEY
JACK, CARISOPHUS' LACKEY
SNAP, THE PORTER
DlONYSIUS, THE KlNG
EUBULUS, THE KlNG's COUNCILLOR
GRONNO, THE HANGMAN
GRIM, THE COLLIER
DAMON AND PITHIAS
THE PROLOGUE.
ON every side, whereas I glance my roving eye,
Silence in all ears bent I plainly do espy : [see,
But if your eager looks do long such toys to
As heretofore in comical wise were wont abroad
to be, [you sought
Your lust is lost, and all the pleasures that
Is frustrate quite of toying plays. A sudden
change is wrought : [delight,
For lo, our author's muse, that masked in
Hath forc'd his pen against his kind no more
such sports to write.
Muse he that lust (right worshipful), for chance
hath made this change,
For that to some he seemed too much in young
desires to range : [did offend,
In which, right glad to please, seeing that he
Of all he humbly pardon craves : his pen that
shall amend. [dare avouch,
And yet (worshipful audience) thus much I
In comedies the greatest skill is this, rightly to
touch [person so,
All things to the quick ; and eke to frame each
That by his common talk you may his nature
rightly know.
A roister ought not preach, thai were too
strange to hear;
B 2
4 Damon and Pithias
But as from virtue he doth swerve, so ought
his words appear :
The old man is sober, the young man rash, the
lover triumphing in toys ;
The matron grave, the harlot wild, and full
of wanton toys.
Which all in one course they no wise do agree ;
So correspondent to their kind their speeches
ought to be. [lively framed,
Which speeches well-pronounc'd, with action
If this offend the lookers on, let Horace then
be blamed,
Which hath our author taught at school, from
whom he doth not swerve,
In all such kind of exercise decorum to observe.
Thus much for his defence (he saith), as poets
erst have done,
Which heretofore in comedies the self-same
race did run.
But now for to be brief, the matter to express,
Which here we shall present, is this : Damon
and Pithias. [legend-lie,
A rare ensample of friendship true — it is no
But a thing once done indeed, as histories do
descry —
Which done of yore in long time past, yet
present shall be here,
Even as it were in doing now, so lively it shall
appear.
Lo, here in Syracuse th' ancient town, which
once the Romans won,
Here Dionysius' palace, within whose court this
thing most strange was done.
Which matter mix'd with mirth and care, a
just name to apply, [comedy.
As seems most fit, we have it termed a tragical
Damon and Pithias 5
Wherein talking of courtly toys — we do protest
this flat !— [but that.
We talk of Dionysius* court, we mean no court
And that we do so mean, who wisely calleth to
mind
The time, the place, the authors, here most
plainly shall it find.
Lo, this I speak for our defence, lest of others
we should be shent :
But, worthy audience, we you pray, take things
as they be meant ;
Whose upright judgment we do crave with
heedful ear and eye
To hear the cause and see th' effect of this new
tragical comedy. [Exit.
[Here entereth Aristippus.
Arist. Tho' strange (perhaps) it seems to
some
That I, Aristippus, a courtier am become :
A philosopher of late, not of the meanest name,
But now to the courtly behaviour my life I
frame.
Muse he that list ; to you of good skill
I say that I am a philosopher still.
Lovers of wisdom are termed philosophy —
Then who is a philosopher so rightly as I ?
For in loving of wisdom proof doth this try,
That frustra sapit, qui non sapit sibi.
I am wise for myself : then tell me of troth,
Is not that great wisdom, as the world go'th?
Some philosophers in the street go ragged and
torn, [scorn :
And feed on vile roots, whom boys laugh to
But I in fine silks haunt Dionysius' palace,
Wherein with dainty fare myself I do solace.
6 Damon and Pithias
I can talk of philosophy as well as the best,
But the strait kind of life I leave to the rest.
And I profess now the courtly philosophy,
To crouch, to speak fair, myself I apply
To feed the king's humour with pleasant de-
For which I am called Regius cam's. [vices,
But wot ye who named me first the king's dog?
It was the rogue Diogenes, that vile grunting
hog.
Let him roll in his tub, to win a vain praise :
In the court pleasantly I will spend all my
Wherein what to do I am not to learn, [days ;
What will serve mine own turn I can quickly
discern.
All my time at school I have not spent vainly,
I can help one : is not that a good point of
philosophy ?
Here entereth Carisophus.
Cans. I beshrew your fine ears, since you
came from school, [fool :
In the court you have made many a wise man a
And though you paint out your feigned philo
sophy,
So God help me, it is but a plain kind of flattery,
Which you use so finely in so pleasant a sort,
That none but Aristippus now makes the king
sport.
Ere you came hither, poor I was somebody ;
The king delighted in me, now I am but a
noddy. [self best,
Arist. In faith, Carisophus, you know your-
But I will not call you noddy, but only in jest.
And thus I assure you, though I came from
school [king's fool;
To serve in this court, I came not yet to be the
Or to fill his ears with servile squirrility.
Damon and Pithias 7
That office is yours, you know it right per
fectly.
Of parasites and sycophants you are a grave
bencher,
The king feeds you often from his own
trencher. [favour —
I envy not your state, nor yet your great
Then grudge not at all, if in my behaviour
I make the king merry with pleasant urbanity,
Whom I never abused to any man's injury.
Caris. By Cock, sir, yet in the court you
do best thrive,
For you get more in one day than I do in five.
Arist. Why, man, in the court do you not
see
Rewards given for virtue to every degree?
To reward the unworthy — that world is done :
The court is changed, a good thread hath been
spun [was liked,
Of dog's wool heretofore; and why? because it
And not for that it was best trimmed and
picked :
But now men's ears are finer, such gross toys
are not set by ; [appty :
Therefore to a trimmer kind of mirth myself I
Wherein though I please, it cometh not of my
But of the king's favour. [desert,
Caris. It may so be ; yet in your prosperity
Despise not an old courtier : Carisophus is he,
Which hath long time fed Dionysius' humour :
Diligently to please still at hand : there was
never rumour
Spread in this town of any small thing, but I
Brought it to the king in post by and by.
Yet now I crave your friendship, which if I
may attain,
8 Damon and Pithias
Most sure and unfeigned friendship I promise
you again :
So we two link'd in friendship, brother and
brother,
Full well in the court may help one another.
Arist. By'r Lady, Carisophus, though you
know not philosophy,
Yet surely you are a better courtier than I :
And yet I not so evil a courtier, that will seem
to despise [wise.
Such an old courtier as you, so expert and so
But where as you crave mine, and offer your
friendship so willingly, [courtesy :
With heart I give you thanks for this your great
Assuring of friendship both with tooth and nail,
Whiles life lasteth, never to fail.
Caris. A thousand thanks I give you, O
friend Aristippus.
Arist. O friend Carisophus.
Caris. How joyful am I, sith I have to
friend Aristippus now !
Arist. None so glad of Carisophus' friend
ship as I, I make God a vow.
I speak as I think, believe me.
Caris. Sith we are now so friendly joined,
it seemeth to me
That one of us help each other in every degree :
Prefer you my cause, when you are in presence,
To further your matters to the king let me
alone in your absence.
Arist. Friend Carisophus, this shall be done
as you would wish :
But I pray you tell me thus much by the way,
Whither now from this place will you take
your journey? [against friendship.
Caris. I will not dissemble ; that were
Damon and Pithias 9
I go into the city some knaves to nip
For talk, with their goods to increase the
king's treasure —
In such kind of service I set my chief pleasure :
Farewell, friend Aristippus, now for a time.
Exit.
Arist. Adieu, friend Carisophus — In good
faith now,
Of force I must laugh at this solemn vow.
Is Aristippus link'd in friendship with Cari
sophus?
Quid cum tanto asino talis philosophus?
They say, Morum similitudo consult amicitias ;
Then how can this friendship between us two
come to pass ?
We are as like in condition as Jack Fletcher
and his bolt ;
I brought up in learning, but he is a very dolt
As touching good letters ; but otherwise such a
crafty knave, [have :
If you seek a whole region, his like you cannot
A villain for his life, a varlet dyed in grain,
You lose money by him if you sell him for one
knave, for he serves for twain :
A flattering parasite, a sycophant also, [foe.
A common accuser of men, to the good an open
Of half a word he can make a legend of lies,
Which he will avouch with such tragical cries,
As though all were true that comes out of his
mouth.
Where[as], indeed, to be hanged by and by,
He cannot tell one tale but twice he must lie.
He spareth no man's life to get the king's
favour, [savour
In which kind of service he hath got such a
That he will never leave. Methink then that I
io Damon and Pithias
Have done very wisely to join in friendship with
him, lest perhaps I
Coming in his way might be nipp'd ; for such
knaves in presence
We see ofttimes put honest men to silence :
Yet I have played with his beard in knitting
this knot : [words —
I promis'd friendship; but — you love few
I spake it, but I meant it not.
Who marks this friendship between us two
Shall judge of the worldly friendship without
any more ado.
It may be a right pattern thereof; but true
friendship indeed
Of nought but of virtue doth truly proceed.
But why do I now enter into philosophy
Which do profess the fine kind of courtesy ?
I will hence to the court with all haste I may ;
I thinlc the king be stirring, it is now bright
To wait at a pinch still in sight I mean, [day.
For wot ye what? a new broom sweeps clean.
As to high honour I mind not to climb,
So I mean in the court to lose no time :
Wherein, happy man be his dole, I trust that I
Shall not speed worst, and that very quickly.
Exit.
Here entereth Damon and Pithias like
manners.
Damon. O Neptune, immortal be thy
praise, [seas
For that so safe from Greece we have pass 'd the
To this noble city Syracuse, where we
The ancient reign of the Romans may see.
Whose force Greece also heretofore hath known,
Whose virtue the shrill trump of fame so far
hath blown.
Damon and Pithias n
Pithias. My Damon, of right high praise we
ought to give [arrive :
To Neptune and all the gods, that we safely did
The seas, I think, with contrary winds never
raged so ;
I am even yet so seasick that I faint as I go ;
Therefore let us get some lodging quickly.
But where is Stephano?
Here entereth Stephano.
Stephano. Not far hence : a pox take these
mariner-knaves ;
Not one would help me to carry this stuff ; such
drunken slaves
I think be accursed of the gods' own mouths.
Damon. Stephano, leave thy raging, and let
us enter Syracuse,
We will provide lodging, and thou shalt be
eased of thy burden by and by.
Stephano. Good master, make haste, for I
tell you plain [pain.
This heavy burden puts poor Stephano to much
Pithias. Come on thy ways, thou shalt be
eased, and that anon. Exeunt.
Here entereth Carisophus.
Carts. It is a true saying, that oft hath been
spoken,
The pitcher goeth so long to the water that he
cometh home broken. [sith I
My own proof this hath taught me, for truth,
In the city have used to walk very slyly,
Not with one can I meet, that will in talk join
with me, [to snatch,
And to creep into men's bosoms, some talk for
But which, into one trip or other, I might
trimly them catch, [meet
And so accuse them — now, not with one can I
12 Damon and Pithias
That will join in talk with me, I am shunn'd
like a devil in the street.
My credit is crack 'd where I am known; but,
yet I hear say, [Prey?
Certain strangers are arrived : they were a good
If happily I might meet with them, I fear not,
I, [finely.
But in talk I should trip them, and that very
Which thing, I assure you, I do for mine own
gain,
Or else I would not plod thus up and down, I
tell you plain.
Well, I will for a while to the court, to see
What Aristippus doth ; I would be loth in
favour he should overrun me ;
He is a subtle child, he flattereth so finely, that
I fear me
He will lick all the fat from my lips, and so
outweary me.
Therefore I will not be long absent, but at
hand,
That all his fine drifts I may understand.
Exit.
Here entereth Will and Jack.
Will. I wonder what my master Aristippus
means now-a-days,
That he leaveth philosophy, and seeks to please
King Dionysius with such merry toys :
In Dionysius' court now he only joys,
As trim a courtier as the best, [jest ;
Ready to answer, quick in taunts, pleasant to
A lusty companion to devise with fine dames,
Whose humour to feed his wily wit he frames.
Jack. By Cock, as you say, your master is
a minion : [alone
A foul coil he keeps in this court; Aristippus
Damon and Pithias 13
Now rules the roasts with his pleasant devices,
That I fear he will put out of conceit my master
Carisophus. [and brother,
Will. Fear not that, Jack ; for, like brother
They are knit in true friendship the one with
the other ; [both,
They are fellows, you know, and honest men
Therefore the one to hinder the other they will
be loth.
Jack. Yea, but I have heard say there is
falsehood in fellowship, [the slip :
In the court sometimes one gives another finely
Which when it is spied, it is laugh 'd out with
a scoff, [off :
And with sporting and playing quietly shaken
In which kind of toying thy master hath such
a grace, [face.
That he will never blush, he hath a wooden
But, Will, my master hath bees in his head ;
If he find me here prating I am but dead.
He is still trotting in the city, there is some
what in the wind ;
His looks bewray his inward troubled jnind.
Therefore I will be packing to the court by and
by ; [pie !
If he be once angry, Jack shall cry, woe the
Will. By'r Lady, if I tarry long here, of
the same sauce shall I taste,
For my master sent me on an errand, and bade
me make haste;
Therefore we will depart together. [Exeunt.
Here entereth Stephano.
Steph. Ofttimes I have heard, before I
came hither,
That no man can serve two masters together;
A sentence so true, as most men do take it,
14 Damon and Pithias
At any time false that no man can make it :
And yet by their leave, that first have it
spoken, [open :
How that may prove false, even here I will
For I, Stephano, lo, so named by my father,
At this time serve two masters together,
And love them alike : the one and the other
I duly obey, I can do no other.
A bondman I am, so nature hath wrought me,
One Damon of Greece, a gentleman, bought
me.
To him I stand bound, yet serve I another,
Whom Damon my master loves as his own
brother :
A gentleman too, and Pithias he is named,
Fraught with virtue, whom vice never defamed.
These two, since at school they fell acquainted,
In mutual friendship at no time have fainted.
But loved so kindly and friendly each other,
As though they were brothers by father and
mother.
Pythagoras' learning these two have embraced,
Which both are in virtue so narrowly laced,
That all their whole doings do fall to this issue,
To have no respect but only to virtue :
All one in effect, all one in their going,
All one in their study, all one in their doing.
These gentlemen both, being of one condition,
Both alike of my service have all the fruition :
Pithias is joyful, if Damon be pleased :
If Pithias be served, then Damon is eased.
Serve one, serve both (so near), who would
win them :
I think they have but one heart between them.
In travelling countries we three have contrived
Full many a year, and this day arrived
Damon and Pithias 15
At Syracuse in Sicilia, that ancient town,
Where my masters are lodged; and I up and
down [mg»
Go seeking to learn what news here are walk-
To hark of what things the people are talking.
I like not this soil, for as I go plodding,
I mark there two, there three, their heads
always nodding,
In close secret wise, still whispering together.
If I ask any question, no man doth answer :
But shaking their heads, they go their ways
speaking ; [ing :
I mark how with tears their wet eyes are leak-
Some strangeness there is, that breedeth this
musing. [using,
Well, I will to my masters, and tell of their
That they may learn, and walk wisely together :
I fear we shall curse the time we came hither.
Exit.
Here enter eth Aristippus and Will.
Aristippus. Will, didst thou hear the ladies
so talk of me?
What aileth them? from their nips shall I
never be free?
Will. Good faith, sir, all the ladies in the
court do plainly report [no sport :
That without mention of them you can make
They are your plain-song to sing descant upon ;
If they were not, your mirth were gone.
Therefore, master, jest no more with women in
any wise; [price.
If you do, by Cock, you are like to know the
Aristippus. By'r Lady, Will, this is good
counsel : plainly to jest
Of women proof hath taught me is not the
best:
i6
Damon and Pithias
I will change my copy, howbeit I care not a
quinch ;
I know the gall'd horse will soonest winch :
But learn thou secretly what privily they talk
Of me in the court : among them slyly walk,
And bring me true news thereof.
Will. I will sir, master thereof have no
doubt, for I [fectly.
Where they talk of you will inform you per-
Aristippus. Do so, my boy : if thou bring
it finely to pass,
For thy good service thou shalt go in thine old
coat at Christmas. Exeunt.
Enter Damon, Pithias, Stephano.
Damon. Stephano, is all this true that thou
hast told me?
Steph. Sir, for lies hitherto ye never con-
troll'd me.
O, that we had never set foot on this land,
Where Dionysius reigns with so bloody a hand !
Every day he showeth some token of cruelty,
With blood he hath filled all the streets in the
city :
I tremble to hear the people's murmuring,
I lament to see his most cruel dealing :
I think there is no such tyrant under the sun.
O, my dear masters, this morning what hath
he done !
Damon. What is that? tell us quickly.
Steph. As I this morning pass'd in the
street,
With a woful man (going to his death) did I
meet.
Many people followed, and I of one secretly
Asked the cause, why he was condemned to
die.
Damon and Pithias 17
[Who] whispered in mine ear, nought hath he
done but thus, [nysius :
In his sleep he dreamed he had killed Dio-
Which dream told abroad, was brought to the
king in post, [hath lost.
By whom, condemned for suspicion, his life he
Marcia was his name, as the people said.
Pithias. My dear friend Damon, I blame
not Stephano [is so,
For wishing we had not come hither, seeing it
That for so small cause such cruel death doth
ensue.
Damon. My Pithias, where tyrants reign,
such cases are not new,
Which fearing their own state for great cruelty,
To sit fast as they think, do execute speedily
All such as any light suspicion have tainted.
Steph. (aside). With such quick carvers I
list not be acquainted.
Damon. So are they never in quiet, but in
suspicion still,
When one is made away, they take occasion
another to kill :
Ever in fear, having no trusty friend, void of
all peoples' love, [they prove.
And in their own conscience a continual hell
Pithias. As things by their contraries are
always best proved,
How happy are then merciful princes, of their
people beloved !
Having sure friends everywhere, no fear doth
touch them :
They may safely spend the day pleasantly, at
night secur^ dormiunt in utramque aurem.
O my Damon, if choice were offered me, I
would choose to be Pithias,
ED. c
i8
Damon and Pithias
As I am (Damon's friend) rather than to be
King Dionysius.
Steph. And good cause why; for you are
entirely beloved of one, [none.
And as far as I hear, Dionysius is beloved of
Damon. That state is most miserable;
thrice happy are we,
Whom true love hath joined in perfect amity :
Which amity first sprung — without vaunting
be it spoken, that is true —
Of likeness of manners, took root by company,
and now is conserved by virtue;
Which virtue always through worldly things do
not frame,
Yet doth she achieve to her followers immortal
fame : [only,
Whereof if men were careful for virtue's sake
They would honour friendship, and not for
commodity.
But such as for profit in friendship do link,
When storms come, they slide away sooner
than a man will think. [issue,
My Pithias, the sum of my talk falls to this
To prove no friendship is sure, but that which
is grounded on virtue.
Pithias. My Damon, of this thing there
needs no proof to me,
The gods forbid, but that Pithias with Damon
in all things should agree.
For why is it said, Amicus alter ipse,
But that true friends should be two in body,
but one in mind? [against kind
As it were transformed into another, which
Though it seem, yet in good faith, when I am
alone,
I forget I am Pithias, methinks I am Damon.
Damon and Pithias 19
Steph. That could I never do, to forget
myself; full well I know,
Wheresoever I go, that I am pauper Stephano :
But I pray you, sir, for all your philosophy,
See that in this court you walk very wisely.
You are but newly come hither; being
strangers, ye know [go :
Many eyes are bent on you in the streets as ye
Many spies are abroad, you can not be too cir
cumspect.
Damon. Stephano, because thou art careful
of me, thy master, I do thee praise:
Yet think this for a surety : no state to dis
please
By talk or otherwise my friend and I intend :
we will here,
As men that come to see the soil and manners
of all men of every degree. [stage,
Pythagoras said, that this world was like a
Whereon many play their parts : the lookers-
on, the sage.
Philosophers are, saith he, whose part is to
learn
The manners of all nations, and the good from
the bad to discern.
Steph. Good faith, sir, concerning the
people they are not gay,
And as far as I see, they be mummers ; for
nought they say,
For the most part, whatsoever you ask them.
The soil is such, that to live here I cannot like.
Damon. Thou speakest according to thy
learning, but I say, [everywhere;
Omne solum forti patria, a wise man may live
Therefore, my dear friend Pithias,
Let us view this town in every place,
C 2
20
Damon and Pithias
And then consider the people's manners also.
Pithias. As you will, my Damon; but how
say you, Stephano? [repast?
Is it not best, ere we go further, to take some
Steph. In faith, I like well this question,
sir : for all your haste,
To eat somewhat I pray you think it no folly ;
It is high dinner time, I know by my belly.
Damon. Then let us to our lodging depart :
when dinner is done,
We will view this city as we have begun.
Exeunt.
Here entereth Carisophus.
Can's. Once again in hope of good wind,
I hoise up my sail,
I go into the city to find some prey for mine
avail : [lately
I hunger while I may see these strangers that
Arrived : I were safe, if once I might meet them
happily.
Let them bark that lust at this kind of gain,
He is a fool that for his profit will not pain :
Though it be joined with other men's hurt, I
care not at all :
For profit I will accuse any man, hap what
shall.
But soft, sirs, I pray you hush : what are they
that comes here?
By their apparel and countenance some
strangers they appear. [while,
I will shroud myself secretly, even here for a
To hear all their talk, that I may them beguile.
Here entereth Damon and Stephano.
Steph. A short horse soon curried ; my belly
waxeth thinner,
I am as hungry now, as when I went to dinner :
Damon and Pithias 2I
Your philosophical diet is so fine and small
That you may eat your dinner and supper at
once, and not surfeit at all.
Damon. Stephano, much meat breeds heavi
ness : thin diet makes thee light.
Steph. I may be lighter thereby, but I shall
never run the faster.
Damon. I have had sufficiently discourse of
amity,
Which I had at dinner with Pithias; and his
pleasant company
Hath fully satisfied me : it doth me good to
feed mine eyes on him.
Steph. Course or discourse, your course is
very coarse; for all your talk
You had but one bare course, and that was
pike, rise, and walk.
And surely, for all your talk of philosophy,
I never heard that a man with words could fill
his belly.
Feed your eyes, quoth you ? the reason from my
wisdom swerveth,
I stared on you both, and yet my belly
starveth. [fine memory.
Damon. Ah, Stephano, small diet maketh a
Steph. I care not for your crafty sophistry.
You two are fine, let me be fed like a gross
knave still; [will,
I pray you licence me for a while to have my
At home to tarry, whiles you take view of this
city ! [very witty.
To find some odd victuals in a corner I am
Damon. At your pleasure, sir : I will wait
on myself this day;
Yet attend upon Pithias, which for a purpose
tarrieth at home :
22
Damon and Pithias
So doing, you wait upon me also.
Steph. With wings on my feet I go.
Exit.
Damon. Not in vain the poet saith, Naturam
jurcd expellas, tamen usque recurret;
For train up a bondman to never so good a
behaviour,
Yet in some point of servility he will savour :
As this Stephano, trusty to me his master,
loving and kind, [find.
Yet touching his belly a very bondman I him
He is to be borne withal, being so just and
true, [new.
I assure you, I would not change him for no
But methinks this is a pleasant city;
The seat is good, and yet not strong ; and that
is great pity.
Can's, (aside). I am safe, he is mine own.
Damon. The air subtle and fine, the people
should be witty [region :
That dwell under this climate in so pure a
A trimmer plot I have not seen in my pere
grination.
Nothing misliketh me in this country,
But that I heard such muttering of cruelty :
Fame reporteth strange things of Dionysius,
But kings' matters passing our reach, pertain
not to us. [world began,
Carts. Dionysius, quoth you? since the
In Sicilia never reigned so cruel a man :
A despiteful tyrant to all men; I marvel, I,
That none makes him away, and that suddenly.
Damon. My friend, the gods forbid so cruel
a thing [the king !
That any man should lift up his sword against
Or seek other means by death him to prevent,
Damon and Pithias 23
Whom to rule on earth the mighty gods have
sent. [Dionysius.
But, my friend, leave off this talk of King
Cam. Why, sir? he cannot hear us.
Damon. What then? An nescis longas
regibus esse manus?
It is no safe talking of them that strikes afar
off.
But leaving kings' matters, I pray you show
me this courtesy,
To describe in few words the state of this city.
A traveller I am, desirous to know
The state of each country, wherever I go :
Not to the hurt of any state, but to get experi
ence thereby.
It is not for nought, that the poet doth cry,
Die mihi musa virum, captce post tempora
Trojce,
Qui mores hominum multorum vidit et urbes.
In which verses, as some writers do scan,
The poet describeth a perfect wise man :
Even so I, being a stranger, addicted to philo
sophy,
To see the state of countries myself I apply.
Cam. Sir, I like this intent, but may I ask
your name without scorn?
Damon. My name is Damon, well known in
my country, a gentleman born.
Caris. You do wisely to search the state
of each country
To bear intelligence thereof, whither you lust.
He is a spy. [Aside.
Sir, I pray you, have patience awhile, for I
have to do hereby :
View this weak part of this city as you stand,
and I very quickly
24
Damon and Pithias
Will return to you again, and then will I show
The state of all this country, and of the court
also. Exit Cans.
Damon. I thank you for your courtesy.
This chanceth well that I
Met with this gentleman so happily,
Which, as it seemeth, misliketh something,
Else he would not talk so boldly of the king,
And that to a stranger : but lo, where he comes
in haste.
Here entereth Carisophus and Snap.
Cam. This is he, fellow Snap, snap him
up : away with him.
Snap. Good fellow, thou must go with me
to the court.
Damon. To the court, sir? and why?
Cam. Well, we will dispute that before the
king. Away with him quickly.
Damon. Is this the courtesy you promised
me, and that very lately?
Cam. Away with him, I say.
Damon. Use no violence, I will go with
you quietly. Exeunt omnes.
Here entereth Aristippus.
Aris. Ah, sirrah, by'r Lady, Aristippus
likes Dionysius* court very well,
Which in passing joys and pleasures doth
excel.
Where he hath dapsiles ccenas, geniales lectos,
et auro
Fulgentem tyranni zonam.
I have plied the harvest, and stroke when the
iron was hot ;
When I spied my time, I was not squeamish
to crave, God wot ! [king's bosom,
But with some pleasant toy I crept into the
Damon and Pithias 25
For which Dionysius gave me Auri talentum
magnum —
A large reward for so simple services.
What then? the king's praise standeth chiefly
in bountifulness : [santly,
Which thing though I told the king very plea-
Yet can I prove it by good writers of great
antiquity :
But that shall not need at this time, since that
I have abundantly :
When I lack hereafter, I will use this point of
philosophy :
But now, whereas I have felt the king's
liberality, [regally :
As princely as it came, I will spend it as
Money is current, men say, and current comes
of Currendo :
Then will I make money run, as his nature
requireth, I trow.
For what becomes a philosopher best,
But to despise money above the rest?
And yet not so despise it, but to have in store
Enough to serve his own turn, and somewhat
more.
With sundry sports and taunts yesternight I
delighted the king, [did ring,
That with his loud laughter the whole court
And I thought he laugh 'd not merrier than I,
when I got this money.
But, mumbudget, for Carisophus I espy
In haste to come hither : I must handle the
knave finely.
[Here entereth Carisophus.
O Carisophus, my dearest friend, my trusty
companion! . Pon8"?
What news with you? where have you been so
26
Damon and Pithias
Cam. My best beloved friend Aristippus,
I am come at last;
I have not spent all my time in waste.
I have got a prey, and that a good one, I trow.
Arist. What prey is that? fain would I
know. [dare say,
Cam. Such a crafty spy I have caught, I
As never was in Sicilia before this day ;
Such a one as viewed every weak place in the
city, [very witty :
Surviewed the haven and each bulwark in talk
And yet by some words himself he did bewray.
Arist. I think so in good faith, as you did
handle him.
Cam. I handled him clerkly, I joined in
talk with him courteously :
But when we were entered, I let him speak his
will, and I
Suck'd out thus much of his words, that I made
him say plainly, [city ;
He was come hither to know the state of the
And not only this, but that he would under
stand [land.
The state of Dionysius' court and of the whole
Which words when I heard, I desired him to
stay,
Till I had done a little business of the way,
Promising him to return again quickly; and
so did convey
Myself to the court for Snap the tipstaff, which
came and upsnatched him,
Brought him to the court, and in the porter's
lodge dispatched him.
After I ran to Dionysius, as fast as I could,
And bewrayed this matter to him, which I have
you told ;
Damon and Pithias 27
Which thing when he heard, being very merry
before,
He suddenly fell in dump, and foaming like a
boar, [die
At last he swore in great rage that he should
By the sword or the wheel, and that very
shortly.
I am too shamefast : for my travail and toil
I crave nothing of Dionysius, but only his
spoil :
Little hath he about him, but a few motheaten
crowns of gold, [hold :
Cha pouch 'd them up already, they are sure in
And now I go into the city, to say sooth,
To see what he hath at his lodging to make up
my mouth.
Arist. My Carisophus, you have done good
service. But what is the spy's name?
Can's. He is called Damon, born in Greece,
from whence lately he came.
Arist. By my troth, I will go see him, and
speak with him too, if I may.
Cam. Do so, I pray you; but yet by the
way, [king.
As occasion serveth, commend my service to the
Arist. Dictum sapienti sat est: friend Cari
sophus, shall I forget that thing?
No, I warrant you : though I say little to your
face,
I will lay on mouth for you to Dionysius, when
I am in place.
If I speak one word for such a knave, hang
me. [Aside.] Exit.
Cam. Our fine philosopher, our trim
learned elf,
Is gone to see as false a spy as himself.
28 Damon and Pithias
Damon smatters as well as he of crafty philo
sophy,
And can turn cat in the pan very prettily :
But Carisophus hath given him such a mighty
check,
As I think in the end will break his neck.
What care I for that? why would he then pry,
And learn the secret estate of our country and
city? [wise:
He is but a stranger, by his fall let others be
I care not who fall, so that I may rise.
As for fine Aristippus, I will keep in with him —
He is a shrewd fool to deal withal, he can
swim — [plainly,
And yet by my troth, to speak my conscience
I will use his friendship to mine own com
modity.
While Dionysius favoureth him, Aristippus
shall be mine ;
But if the king once frown on him, then good
night, Tomalin :
He shall be as strange as though I never saw
him before.
But I tarry too long, I will prate no more.
Jack, come away.
Jack. At hand, sir. [see
Cam. At Damon's lodging, if that you
Any stir to arise, be still at hand by me :
Rather than I will lose the spoil I will blade
it out. [Exeunt.
Here entereth Pithias and Stephana.
Pithias. What strange news are these ! ah,
my Stephano,
Is my Damon in prison, as the voice doth go?
Stephana. It is true, O cruel hap ! he is
taken for a spy,
Damon and Pithias 29
And as they say, by Dionysius' own mouth
condemned to die.
Pithias. To die ! Alas ! For what cause ?
Steph. A sycophant falsely accused him :
other cause there is none.
That, O Jupiter, of all wrongs the revenger,
Seest thou this unjustice, and wilt thou stay
any longer [fire,
From heaven to send down thy hot consuming
To destroy the workers of wrong, which pro
voke thy just ire?
Alas ! Master Pithias, what shall we do,
Being in a strange country, void of friends and
acquaintance too? [day*
Ah, poor Stephano, hast thou lived to see this
To see thy true master unjustly made away?
Pithias. Stephano, seeing the matter is
come to this extremity,
Let us make virtue our friend of mere necessity.
Run thou to the court, and understand secretly
As much as thou canst of Damon's cause,
and I
Will make some means to entreat Aristippus :
He can do much, as I hear, with King Dio
nysius.
Steph. I am gone, sir. Ah, I would to God
my travail and pain
Might restore my master to his liberty again !
Pithias. Ah woful Pithias ! sith now I am
alone, [moan ?
What way shall I first begin to make my
What words shall I find apt for my complaint?
Damon, my friend, my joy, my life, is in peril.
Of force I must now faint.
But, O music, as in joyful times thy merry
notes did borrow,
30 Damon and Pithias
So now lend me thy yearnful tunes to utter my
sorrow.
Here Pithias sings and the regals play.
Awake, ye woful wights,
That long have wept in woe :
Resign to me your plaints and tears,
My hapless hap to show.
My woe no tongue can tell,
No pen can well descry:
O, what a death is this to hear,
Damon my friend must die !
The loss of worldly wealth
Man's wisdom may restore,
And physic hath provided too
A salve for every sore:
But my true friend once lost,
No art can well supply:
Then, what a death is this to hear,
Damon my friend must die !
My mouth, refuse the food,
That should my limbs sustain:
Let sorrow sink into my breast,
And ransack every vein:
Ye Furies, all at once
On me your torments try :
Why should I live, since that I hear
Damon my friend should die I
Gripe me, you greedy grief
And present pangs of death,
You sisters three, with cruel hands
With speed now stop my breath :
Shrine me in clay alive,
Some good man stop mine eye:
Damon and Pithias 31
O death, come now, seeing I hear
Damon my friend must die !
He speaketh this after the song.
In vain I call for death, which heareth not my
complaint : [faint ?
But what wisdom is this, in such extremity to
Multum juvat in re maid animus bonus.
I will to the court myself, to make friends, and
that presently. [misery —
I will never forsake my friend in time of
But do I see Stephano amazed hither to run?
Here entereth Stephano.
Stephano. O Pithias, Pithias, we are all
undone ! [sorrow ;
Mine own ears have sucked in mine own
I heard Dionysius swear that Damon should
die to-morrow.
Pithias. How earnest thou so near the pre
sence of the king, [thing?
That thou mightest hear Dionysius speak this
Steph. By friendship I gat into the court,
where in great audience
I heard Dionysius with his own mouth give
this cruel sentence
By these express words : that Damon the
Greek, that crafty spy,
Without further judgment to-morrow should
die:
Believe me, Pithias, with these ears I heard it
myself.
Pithias. Then how near is my death also !
Ah, woe is me !
Ah my Damon, another myself, shall I forego
thee?
Stephano. Sir, there is no time of lament
ing now : it behoveth us
32 Damon and Pithias
To make means to them which can do much
with Dionysius,
That he be not made away, ere his cause be
fully heard ; for we see
By evil report things be made to princes far
worse than they be.
But lo, yonder cometh Aristippus, in great
favour with King Dionysius, [for us,
Entreat him to speak a good word to the king
And in the mean season I will to your lodging
to see all things safe there. Exit.
Pithias. To that I agree : but let us slip
aside his talk to hear. [Pithias retires.
Here enter eth Aristippus.
Arist. Here is a sudden change indeed, a
strange metamorphosis, [thought this ?
This court is clean altered : who would have
Dionysius, of late so pleasant and merry,
Is quite changed now into such melancholy,
That nothing can please him : he walketh up
and down, [frown ;
Fretting and chaffing, on every man he doth
Insomuch that, when I in pleasant words began
to play, [so short —
So sternly he frowned on me, and knit me up
I perceive it is no safe playing with lions but
when it please them ; [them,
If you claw where it itch not you shall disease
And so perhaps get a clap ; mine own proof
taught me this,
That it is very good to be merry and wise.
The only cause of this hurly-burly is Cari-
sophus, that wicked man, [gentleman,
Which lately took Damon for a spy, a poor
And hath incensed the king against him so
despitefully,
Damon and Pithias
33
That Dionysius hath judged him to-morrow to
die.
I have talk'd with Damon, whom though in
words I found very witty,
Yet was he more curious than wise in viewing
this city : [cause why
But truly, for aught I can learn, there is no
So suddenly and cruelly he should be con
demned to die :
Howsoever it be, this is the short and long,
I dare not gainsay the king, be it right or
wrong : [this case :
I am sorry, and that is all I may or can do in
Nought availeth persuasion where froward
opinion taketh place.
[Pithias comes forward.
Pithias. Sir, if humble suits you would not
despise,
Then bow on me your pitiful eyes.
My name is Pithias, in Greece well known,
A perfect friend to that woful Damon,
Which now a poor captive in this court doth lie,
By the king's own mouth, as I hear, con
demned to die;
For whom I crave your mastership's goodness,
To stand his friend in this his great distress.
Nought hath he done worthy of death; but
very fondly,
Being a stranger, he viewed this city :
For no evil practices, but to feed his eyes.
But seeing Dionysius is informed otherwise,
My suit is to you, when you see time and place,
To assuage the king's anger, and to purchase
his grace : [only,
In which doing you shall not do good to one
But you shall further two, and that fully.
ED. D
34
Damon and Pithias
Arist. My friend, in this case I can do you
no pleasure.
Pithias. Sir, you serve in the court, as fame
doth tell.
Arist. I am of the court indeed, but none
of the council.
Pithias. As I hear, none is in greater
favour with the king than you at this day.
Arist. The more in favour, the less I dare
say.
Pithias. It is a courtier's praise to help
strangers in misery.
Arist. To help another, and hurt myself, it
is an evil point of courtesy.
Pithias. You shall not hurt yourself to
speak for the innocent.
Arist. He is not innocent whom the king
judgeth nocent.
Pithias. Why, sir, do you think this matter
past all remedy?
Arist. So far past that Dionysius hath
sworn Damon to-morrow shall die.
Pithias. This word my trembling heart
cutteth in two.
Ah, sir, in this woful case what wist I best to
do?
Arist. Best to content yourself when there
is no remedy, [misery :
He is well relieved that foreknoweth his
Yet, if any comfort be, it resteth in Eubulus,
The chiefest councillor about King Dionysius :
Which pitieth Damon's case in this great ex
tremity,
Persuading the king from all kind of cruelty.
Pithias. The mighty gods preserve you for
this word of comfort.
Damon and Pithias 35
Taking my leave of your goodness, I will now
resort
To Eubulus, that good councillor :
But hark ! methink I hear a trumpet blow.
Arist. The king is at hand, stand close in
the prease. Beware, if he know
You are friend to Damon he will take you for
a spy also.
Farewell, I dare not be seen with you.
Here entereth King Dionysius, Eubulus
the Councillor, and Gronno the Hang"
man.
Diony. Gronno, do my commandment :
strike off Damon's irons by and by.
Then bring him forth, I myself will see him
executed presently.
Gronno. O mighty king, your command
ment will I do speedily.
Diony. Eubulus, thou hast talked in vain,
for sure he shall die.
Shall I suffer my life to stand in peril of every
spy?
Eubul. That he conspired against your
person his accuser cannot say :
He only viewed your city, and will you for that
make him away?
Diony. What he would have done the
guess is great : he minded me to hurt
That came so slyly to search out the secret
estate of my court.
Shall I still live in fear? no, no : I will cut off
such imps betime,
Lest that to my farther danger too high they
climb.
Eubul. Yet have the mighty gods immortal
fame assigned
D 2
36 Damon and Pithias
To all worldly princes, which in mercy be in
clined.
Diony. Let fame talk what she list, so I
may live in safety. [mercy.
Eubul. The only mean to that is to use
Diony. A mild prince the people despiseth.
Eubul. A cruel king the people hateth.
Diony. Let them hate me, so they fear me.
Eubul. That is not the way to live in safety.
Diony. My sword and power shall purchase
my quietness.
Eubul. That is sooner procured by mercy
and gentleness.
Diony. Dionysius ought to be feared.
Eubul. Better for him to be well beloved.
Diony. Fortune maketh all things subject
to my power.
Eubul. Believe her not, she is a light
goddess; she can laugh and low'r.
Diony. A king's praise standeth in the re
venging of his enemy. [clemency.
Eubul. A greater praise to win him by
Diony. To suffer the wicked live it is no
mercy.
Eubul. To kill the innocent it is great
cruelty.
Diony. Is Damon innocent, which so
craftily undermined Carisophus, [nysius?
To understand what he could of King Dio-
Which surviewed the haven and each bulwark
in the city,
Where battery might be laid, what way best to
approach? shall I [despite?
Suffer such a one to live, that worketh me such
No, he shall die, then I am safe : a dead dog
cannot bite.
Damon and Pithias 37
Eubul. But yet, O mighty king, my duty
bindeth me
To give such counsel, as with your honour may
best agree :
The strongest pillars of princely dignity,
I find this justice with mercy and prudent liber
ality :
The one judgeth all things by upright equity,
The other rewardeth the worthy, flying each
extremity.
As to spare those which offend maliciously,
It may be called no justice, but extreme injury :
So upon suspicion of such things not well-
proved, [accused,
To put to death presently whom envious flattery
It seemeth of tyranny ; and upon what fickle
ground all tyrants do stand,
Athens and Lacedemon can teach you, if it be
rightly scann'd. [seeks
And not only these citizens, but who curiously
The whole histories of all the world, not only
of Romans and Greeks,
Shall well perceive of all tyrants the ruinous
fall,
Their state uncertain, beloved of none, but
hated of all.
Of merciful princes to set out the passing
felicity
I need not : enough of that even these days do
testify.
They live devoid of fear, their sleeps are sound,
they dread no enemy,
They are feared and loved, and why? they rule
with justice and mercy,
Extending justice to such as wickedly from
justice have swerved :
38 Damon and Pithias
Mercy unto those who in opinion of simpleness
have mercy deserved.
Of liberty nought I say, but only this thing,
Liberty upholdeth the state of a king [issue,
Whose large bountifulness ought to fall to this
To reward none but such as deserve it for
virtue. [provident liberality ;
Which merciful justice if you would follow, and
Neither the caterpillars of all courts, et fruges
consumere nati,
Parasites with wealth puffd up, should not
look so high ; [die.
Nor yet for this simple fact poor Damon should
Diony. With pain mine ears have heard
this vain talk of mercy. [only :
I tell thee, fear and terror defendeth kings
Till he be gone whom I suspect, how shall I
live quietly,
Whose memory with chilling horror fills my
breast day and night violently?
My dreadful dreams of him bereaves my rest;
on bed I lie
Shaking and trembling, as one ready to yield
his throat to Damon's sword.
This quaking dread nothing but Damon's blood
can stay : [alway.
Better he die than I to be tormented with fear
He shall die, though Eubulus consent not
thereto : [to do.
It is lawful, for kings, as they list, all things
Here Gronno [and Snap] bring in
Damon, and Pithias meeteth him by
the way.
Pithias. O my Damon !
Damon. O my Pithias ! seeing death must
part us, farewell for ever.
Damon and Pithias 39
Pithias. O Damon, O my sweet friend !
Snap. Away from the prisoner : what a
prease have we here ?
Gronno. As you commanded, O mighty
king, we have brought Damon.
Diony. Then go to : make ready. I will
not stir out of this place
Till I see his head stroken off before my face.
Gronno. It shall be done, sir. To Damon.
Because your eyes have made such a-do
I will knock down this your lantern, and shut
up your shop-window too.
Damon. O mighty king, whereas no truth
my innocent life can save,
But that so greedily you thrust my guiltless
blood to have,
Albeit (even for thought) for ought against
your person :
Yet now I plead not for life, ne will I crave
your pardon.
But seeing in Greece my country, where well I
am known,
I have worldly things fit for mine alliance,
when I am gone, [leisure,
To dispose them, ere I die, if I might obtain
I would account it (O king) for a passing great
pleasure :
Not to prolong my life thereby, for which I
reckon not this,
But to set my things in a stay : and surely I
will not miss, [embrace,
Upon the faith which all gentlemen ought to
To return again, at your time to appoint, to
yield my body here in this place.
Grant me (O king) such time to despatch this
inquiry,
40 Damon and Pithias
And I will not fail when you appoint, even here
my life to pay.
Diony. A pleasant request ! as though I
could trust him absent,
Whom in no wise I cannot trust being- present.
And yet though I sware the contrary 2 do that
I require,
Give me a pledge for thy return, and have
thine own desire.
He is as near now as he was before. [Aside.
Damon. There is no surer nor greater
pledge than the faith of a gentleman.
Diony. It was wont to be, but otherwise
now the world doth stand;
Therefore do as I say, else presently yield thy
neck to the sword. [word.
If I might with my honour, I would recall my
Pithias. Stand to your word, O king, for
kings ought nothing say, [alway.
But that they would perform in perfect deeds
A pledge you did require, when Damon his suit
did meve,
For which with heart and stretched hands most
humble thanks I give : [friend
And that you may not say but Damon hath a
That loves him better than his own life, and
will do to his end, [his :
Take me, O mighty king : my life I pawn for
Strike off my head if Damon hap at his day to
miss.
Diony. What art thou, that chargest me
with my word so boldly here?
Pithias. I am Pithias, a Greek born, which
hold Damon my friend full dear.
Diony. Too dear perhaps, to hazard thy
life for him : what fondness moveth thee ?
Damon and Pithias 41
Pithias. No fondness at all, but perfect
amity.
Diony. A mad kind of amity ! advise thy
self well : if Damon fail at his day,
Which shall be justly appointed, wilt thou die
for him, to me his life to pay?
Pithias. Most willingly, O mighty king : if
Damon fail, let Pithias die.
Diony. Thou seemest to trust his words
that pawnest thy life so frankly.
Pithias. What Damon saith, Pithias be-
lieveth assuredly.
Diony. Take heed, for life, worldly men
break promise in many things.
Pithias. Though worldly men do so, it never
haps amongst friends.
Dionysius. What callest thou friends? are
they not men, is not this true?
Pithias. Men they be, but such men as love
one another only for virtue.
Diony. For what virtue dost thou love this
spy, this Damon? [unknown.
Pithias. For that virtue which yet to you is
Diony. Eubulus, what shall I do? I would
despatch this Damon fain,
But this foolish fellow so chargeth me that I
may not call back my word again.
Eubul. The reverent majesty of a king
stands chiefly in keeping his promise.
What you have said this whole court beareth
witness,
Save your honour, whatsoever you do.
Diony. For saving mine honour, I must for
bear my will : go to.
Pithias, seeing thou tookest me at my word,
take Damon to thee :
42 Damon and Pithias
For two months he is thine : unbind him, I set
him free;
Which time once expired, if he appear not the
next day by noon,
Without further delay thou shalt lose thy life,
and that full soon. [bed,
Whether he die by the way, or lie sick in his
If he return not then, thou shalt either hang
or lose thy head.
Pithias. For this, O mighty king, I yield
immortal thanks. O joyful day !
Diony. Gronno, take him to thee : bind him,
see him kept in safety : [die.
If he escape, assure thyself for him thou shalt
Eubulus, let us depart, to talk of this strange
thing within.
Eubul. 1 follow. Exeunt.
Gronno. Damon, thou servest the gods well
to-day ; be thou of comfort. [sport.
As for you, sir, I think you will be hanged in
You heard what the king said ; I must keep
you safely : [than I.
By Cock, so I will; you shall rather hang
Come on your way.
Pithias. My Damon, farewell ; the gods have
thee in keeping.
Damon. O my Pithias, my pledge, farewell ;
I part from thee weeping. [again,
But joyful at my day appointed I will return
When I will deliver thee from all trouble and
pain.
Stephano will I leave behind me to wait upon
thee in prison alone,
And I, whom fortune hath reserved to this
misery, will walk home. [farewell.
Ah my Pithias, my pledge, my life, my friend,
Damon and Pithias 43
Pithias. Farewell, my Damon.
Damon. Loth am I to depart. Sith sobs
my trembling tongue doth stay,
0 music, sound my doleful plaints, when I am
gone my way. [Exit Damon.
Gronno. 1 am glad he is gone, I had almost
wept too. Come, Pithias,
So God help me, I am sorry for thy foolish
case.
Wilt thou venter thy life for a man so fondly?
Pithias. It is no venter : my friend is just,
for whom I desire to die.
Gronno. Here is a madman ! I tell thee, I
have a wife whom I love well,
And if ich would die for her, chould ich were
in hell. [a woman?
Wilt thou do more for a man than I would for
Pithias. Yea, that I will.
Gronno. Then come on your ways, you must
to prison haste.
1 fear you will repent this folly at last.
Pithias. Tl^at shalt thou never see. But O
music, as my Damon requested thee,
Sound out thy doleful tunes in this time of
calamity.
Exeunt. Here the regals play a mourn
ing song, and Damon cometh in, in
mariner apparel, and Stephano with
him.
Damon. Weep no more, Stephano, this is
but destiny : [die :
Had not this happ'd, yet I know I am born to
Where or in what place, the gods know alone,
To whose judgment myself I commit. There
fore leave off thy moan, [again,
And wait upon Pithias in prison till I return
44
Damon and Pithias
In whom my joy, my care and life doth only
remain.
Stephana. O my dear master, let me go
with you ; for my poor company [misery.
Shall be some small comfort in this time of
Damon. O Stephano, hast thou been so
long with me,
And yet dost not know the force of true amity ?
I tell thee once again, my friend and I are but
one : [Damon.
Wait upon Pithias, and think thou art with
Whereof I may not now discourse, the time
passeth away ; [journey :
The sooner I am gone, the shorter shall be my
Therefore farewell, Stephano, commend me to
my friend Pithias, [woful case.
Whom I trust to deliver in time out of this
Stephano. Farewell, my dear master, since
your pleasure is so.
O cruel hap ! O poor Stephano !
0 cursed Carisophus, that first moved this
tragedy ! — [trow ye?
But what a noise is this? is all well within,
1 fear all be not well within, I will go see. —
Come out, you weasel : are you seeking eggs in
Damon's chest?
Come out, I say: wilt thou be packing? by
Cock, you were best.
Cans. How durst thou, villain, to lay hands
on me?
Stephano. Out, sir knave, or I will send ye.
Art thou not content to accuse Damon wrong-
fully,
But wilt thou rob him also, and that openly?
Cans. The king gave me the spoil : to take
mine own wilt thou let me?
Damon and Pithias 45
Steph. Thine own, villain ! where is thine
authority ?
Can's. I am authority of myself; dost thou
not know?
Stephana. By'r Lady, that is somewhat;
but have you no more to show?
Can's. What if I have not? [blow.
Steph. Then for an earnest penny take this
I shall bumbast you, you mocking knave; chill
put pro in my purse for this time.
Cam. Jack, give me my sword and target.
Jack. I cannot come to you, master, this
knave doth me let. Hold, master.
Steph Away, Jackanapes, else I will col-
pheg you by and by :
Ye slave, I will have my pennyworths of thee
therefore, if I die.
About, villain !
Cans. O citizens, help to defend me.
Steph. Nay, they will rather help to hang
thee.
Can's. Good fellow, let us reason this matter
quietly : beat me no more.
Steph. Of this condition I will stay, if thou
swear, as thou art an honest man,
Thou wilt say nothing to the king of this when
I am gone.
Cans. I will say nothing : here is my hand,
as I am an honest man.
Steph. Then say on thy mind : I have taken
a wise oath on him, have I not, trow ye?
To trust such a false knave upon his honesty?
As he is an honest man (quoth you?) he may
bewray all to the king,
And break his oath for this never a whit — but,
my franion, I tell you this one thing :
46
Damon and Pithias
If you disclose this I will devise such a way,
That whilst thou livest, thou shalt remember
this day.
Can's. You need not devise for that, for
this day is printed in my memory ;
I warrant you, I shall remember this beating
till I die :
But seeing of courtesy you have granted that
we should talk quietly, [injury.
Methinks in calling me knave you do me much
Steph. Why so, I pray thee heartily?
Caris. Because I am the king's man : keeps
the king any knaves ?
Steph. He should not ; but what he doth, it
is evident by thee,
And as far as I can learn or understand,
There is none better able to keep knaves in all
the land.
Caris. O sir, I am a courtier : when
courtiers shall hear tell [well.
How you have used me, they will not take it
Steph. Nay, all right courtiers will ken me
thank ; and wot you why ?
Because I handled a counterfeit courtier in his
kind so finely.
What, sir? all are not courtiers that have a
counterfeit show :
In a troop of honest men some knaves may
stand, ye know, [honesty,
Such as by stealth creep in under the colour of
Which sort under that cloak do all kinds of
villainy. [urbanity,
A right courtier is virtuous, gentle, and full of
Hurting no man, good to all, devoid of villainy :
But such as thou art, fountains of squirrility
and vain delights ;
Damon and Pithias 47
Though you hang by the coyrt, you are but
flatt'ring parasites;
As well deserving the right name of courtesy,
As the coward knight the true praise of
chivalry. [your well-wilier.
I could say more, but I will not, for that I am
In faith, Carisophus, you are no courtier but
a caterpillar,
A sycophant, a parasite, a flatterer, and a
knave. [have :
Whether I will or no, these names you must
How well you deserve this by your deeds it is
known, [Damon,
For that so unjustly thou hast accused poor
Whose woful case the gods help alone.
Caris. Sir, are you his servant, that you
pity his case so?
Steph. No, bum troth, goodman Grumb,
his name is Stephano :
I am called Onaphets, if needs you will know.
The knave beginneth to sift me, but I turn my
name in and out,
Cretizo cum Cretense, to make him a lout.
[Aside.
Caris. What mumble you with yourself,
Master Onaphets?
Steph. I am reckoning with myself how I
may pay my debts.
Caris. You have paid me more than you
did owe me.
Steph. Nay, upon a farther reckoning, I
will pay you more, if I know
Either you talk of that is done, or by your
sycophantical envy
You prick forth Dionysius the sooner, that
Damon may die :
48
Damon and Pithias
I will so pay thee, that thy bones shall rattle in
thy skin.
Remember what I have said; Onaphets is my
name. [Exit.
Caris. The sturdy knave is gone, the devil
him take;
He hath made my head, shoulders, arms, sides,
and all to ache.
Thou whoreson villain boy, why didst thou wait
no better?
As he paid me, so will I not die thy debtor.
[Strikes him.
Jack. Master, why do you fight with me?
I am not your match, you see :
You durst not fight with him that is gone, and
will you wreak your anger on me?
Caris. Thou villain, by thee I have lost
mine honour.
Beaten with a cudgel like a slave, a vacabone,
or a lazy lubber,
And not given one blow again. Hast thou
handled me well?
Jack. Master, I handled you not, but who
did handle you very handsomely, you can
tell.
Caris. Handsomely ! thou crack-rope.
Jack. Yea, sir, very handsomely : I hold
you a groat
He handled you so handsomely that he left
not one mote in your coat.
Caris. O, I had firk'd him trimly, thou
villain, if thou hadst given me my sword.
Jack. It is better as it is, master, believe
me, at a word.
If he had seen your
been fiercer,
weapon, he would have
Damon and Pithias 49
And so perhaps beat you worse, I speak it
with my heart.
You were never at the dealing of fence-blows,
but you had four away for your part.
It is but your luck, you are man good enough ;
But the Welsh Onaphets was a vengeance-
knave, and rough. [your bed,
Master, you were best go home and rest in
Methinks your cap waxeth too little for your
head.
Cam. What ! doth my head swell?
Jack. Yea, as big as a codshead, and bleeds
too. [this hue.
Cam. I am ashamed to show my face with
Jack. No shame at all; men have been
beaten far better than you.
Cam. I must go to the chirurgeon's; what
shall I say, when I am a-dressing?
Jack. You may say truly you met with a
knave's blessing. Exeunt.
Here enter eth Aristippus.
Arist. By mine own experience I prove true
that many men tell,
To live in court not beloved, better be in hell :
What crying out, what cursing is there within
of Carisophus,
Because he accused Damon to King Dionysius !
Even now he came whining and crying into the
court for the nonce, [knave's sconce.
Showing that one Onaphets had broke his
Which strange name when they heard every
man laugh 'd heartily,
And I by myself scann'd his name secretly;
For well I knew it was some mad-headed child
That invented this name, that the log-headed
knave might be beguil'd.
ED. E
50 Damon and Pithias
In tossing it often with myself to and fro,
I found out that Onaphets backward spelled
Stephano.
I smiled in my sleeve how to see by turning
his name he dress 'd him,
And how for Damon his master's sake with a
wooden cudgel he bless 'd him.
None pitied the knave, no man nor woman ;
but all laugh 'd him to scorn.
To be thus hated of all, better unborn :
Far better Aristippus hath provided, I trow;
For in all the court I am beloved both of high
and low.
I offend none, insomuch that women sing this
to my great praise,
Omnis Aristippum decuit color, et locus et res.
But in all this jollity one thing mazeth me;
The strangest thing that ever was heard or
known
Is now happened in this court by that Damon,
Whom Carisophus accused : Damon is now at
liberty,
For whose return Pithias his friend lieth in
prison, alas, in great jeopardy.
To-morrow is the day, which day by noon if
Damon return not, earnestly
The king hath sworn that Pithias should die;
Whereof Pithias hath intelligence very secretly,
Wishing that Damon may not return till he
hath paid
His life for his friend. Hath it been heretofore
ever said,
That any man for his friend would die so
willingly?
O noble friendship ! O perfect amity !
Thy force is here seen, and that very perfectly.
Damon and Pithias 51
The king himself museth hereat, yet he is far
out of square
That he trusteth none to come near him : not
his own daughters will he have
Unsearch'd to enter his chamber, which he hath
made barbers his beard to shave,
Not with knife or razor, for all edge-tools he
fears, [his hairs.
But with hot burning nutshells they singe off
Was there ever man that lived in such misery?
Well, I will go in — with a heavy and pensive
heart, too,
To think how Pithias, this poor gentleman,
to-morrow shall die. Exit.
Here enter eth Jack and Will.
Jack. Will, by mine honesty, I will mar
your monkey's face, if you so fondly prate.
Will. Jack, by my troth, seeing you are
without the court-gate,
If you play Jack-napes, in mocking my master
and despising my face,
Even here with a pantacle I will you disgrace;
And though you have a far better face than I,
Yet who is better man of us two these fists
shall try,
Unless you leave your taunting.
Jack. Thou began 'st first; didst thou now
not say even now,
That Carisophus my master was no man but a
cow, [blow again?
In taking so many blows, and gave never a
Will. I said so indeed, he is but a tame
ruffian,
That can swear by his flask and twich-box, and
God's precious lady,
And yet will be beaten with a faggot-stick.
E 2
52 Damon and Pithias
These barking whelps were never good biters,
Ne yet great crakers were ever great fighters :
But seeing you egg me so much, I will some
what more recite : [site ;
I say, Carisophus thy master is a flatt'ring para-
Gleaning away the sweet from the worthy in all
the court.
What tragedy hath he moved of late? the devil
take him ! he doth much hurt.
Jack. I pray you, what is Aristippus thy
master, is not he a parasite too,
That with scoffing and jesting in the court
makes so much a-do?
Will. He is no parasite, but a pleasant
gentleman full of courtesy.
Thy master is a churlish lout, the heir of a
dungfork ; as void of honesty
As thou art of honour.
Jack. Nay, if you will needs be prating of
my master still, [Will :
In faith I must cool you, my friend, dapper
Take this at the beginning. Strikes him.
Will. Praise well your winning, my pantacle
is as ready as yours.
Jack. By the mass, I will box you.
Will. By Cock, I will fox you.
Jack. Will, was I with you?
Will. Jack, did I fly? [weak.
Jack. Alas, pretty cockerel, you are too
Will. In faith, doating dottrel, you will cry
creak.
Here entereth Snap.
Snap. Away, you crack-ropes, are you fight
ing at the court-gate? [both : what!
And I take you here again I will swinge you
Exit.
Damon and Pithias 53
Jack. I beshrew Snap the tipstaff, that
great knave's heart, that hither did come.
Had he not been, you had cried ere this, Victus,
victa, victum:
But seeing we have breathed ourselves, if ye
list,
Let us agree like friends, and shake each other
by the fist.
Will. Content am I, for I am not malicious;
but on this condition,
That you talk no more so broad of my master
as here you have done. [yonder.
But who have we here? Cobex epi coming
Jack. Will, let us slip aside and view him
well.
Here entereth Grim the Collier,
whistling.
Grim. What devil ! ich ween the porters are
drunk, will they not dup the gate to-day?
[To] take in coals for the king's own mouth;
will nobody stir, I say? [bed,
Ich might have lain tway hours longer in my
Cha tarried so long here, that my teeth chatter
in my head.
Jack. Will, after our falling out wilt thou
laugh merrily?
Will. Ay, marry, Jack, I pray thee heartily.
Jack. Then follow me, and hem in a word
now and then — [so early?
What brawling knave is there at the court-gate
Will. It is some brainsick villain, I durst
lay a penny. [trow,
Jack. It was you, sir, that cried so loud, I
And bid us take in coals for the king's mouth
even now?
Grim. 'Twas I, indeed.
54
Damon and Pithias
Jack. Why, sir, how dare you speak such
petty treason?
Doth the king eat coals at any season?
Grim. Here is a gay world ! boys now sets
old men to school. [cham a fool?
I said well enough : what, Jack-sauce, think 'st
At bakehouse, butt'ry-hatch, kitchen, and cellar,
Do they not say for the king's mouth?
Will. What, then, goodman collier?
Grim. What, then ! seeing without coals
thee cannot finely dress the king's meat,
May I not say, take in coals for the king's
mouth, though coals he do not eat?
Jack. James Christe ! came ever from a
collier an answer so trim?
You are learned, are you not, father Grim?
Grim. Grim is my name indeed, cham not
learned, and yet the king's collier :
This vorty winter cha been to the king a
servitor,
Though I be not learned, yet cha mother-wit
enough, whole and some.
Will. So it seems, you have so much mother-
wit, that you lack your father's wisdom.
Grim. Mass, cham well-beset, here's a trim
cast of murlons.
What be you, my pretty cockerels, that ask me
these questions?
Jack. Good faith, Master Grim, if such
merlins on your pouch may light,
They are so quick of wing that quickly they
can carry it out of your sight;
And though we are cockerels now, we shall
have spurs one day,
And shall be able perhaps to make you a capon
[to your pay.]
Damon and Pithias 55
But to tell you the truth, we are the porter's
men, which early and late
Wait on such gentlemen as you to open the
court-gate.
Grim. Are ye servants then?
Will. Yea, sir; are we not pretty men?
Grim. Pretty men, quoth you? nay, you are
strong men, else you could not bear these
breeches.
Will. Are these such great hose? in faith,
goodman collier, you see with your nose :
By mine honesty, I have but one lining in one
hose, but seven ells of rug.
Grim. This is but a little, yet it makes thee
seem a great bug.
Jack. How say you, goodman collier, can
you find any fault here?
Grim. Nay, you should find fau't; marry,
here's trim gear !
Alas, little knave, dost not sweat? thou goest
with great pain, [thee plain ;
These are no hose, but water-bougets, I tell
Good for none but such as have no buttocks.
Did you ever see two such little Robin ruddocks
So laden with breeches ? chill say no more, lest
I offend. [ghostly end,
Who invented these monsters first, did it to a
To have a mail ready to put in other folks'
We see this evident by daily proof. [stuff,
One preached of late not far hence in no pulpit,
but in a wain-cart,
That spake enough of this ; but for my part
Chill say no more : your own necessity
In the end will force you to find some remedy.
Jack. Will, hold this railing knave with a
talk, when I am gone :
Damon and Pithias
I will fetch him his filling ale for his good
sermon. Exit.
Will. Go thy way, father Grim, gaily well
you do say,
It is but young men's folly, that list to play,
And mask awhile in the net of their own
device ;
When they come to your age, they will be wise.
Grim. Bum troth, but few such roisters
come to my years at this day ;
They be cut off betimes, ere they have gone
half their journey :
I will not tell why : let them guess that can, I
mean somewhat thereby.
[Enter Jack with a pot of wine, and a
cup to drink on.
Jack. Father Grim, because you are stir
ring so early, [you merry.
I have brought you a bowl of wine to make
Grim. Wine, marry ! this is welcome to
colliers, chill swap't off by and by :
Chwas stirring so early, that my very soul is
dry.
Jack. This is stoutly done : will you have
it warmed, father Grim?
Grim. No; it is warm enough; it is very
lousious and trim.
'Tis musselden, ich ween ; of fellowship let me
have another spurt, [shirt.
Ich can drink as easily now, as if I sat in my
Jack. By Cock, and you shall have it; but
I will begin, and that anon,
Jebit avow mon compagnon.
Grim. Jhar vow pleadge pety Zawne.
Jack. Can you speak French? here is a
trim collier, by this day !
Damon and Pithias 57
Grim. What man ! ich learned this when
ich was a soldier; [whip trimly,
When ich was a lusty fellow, and could yerk a
Better than these boy-colliers that come to
the court daily : [as now,
When there were not so many captious fellows
That would torup men for every trifle, I wot
not how :
As there was one Damon, not long since taken
for a spy ; [to die.
How justly I know not, but he was condemned
Will (aside). This wine hath warmed him,
this comes well to pass,
We shall know all now, for in vino veritas.
Father Grim, who accused this Damon to King
Dionysius?
Grim. A vengeance take him ! 'twas a
gentleman, one Master Crowsphus.
Will. Crowsphus ! you clip the king's lan
guage, you would have said Carisophus.
But I perceive now either the wind is at the
south, [your mouth.
Or else your tongue cleaveth to the roof of
Grim. A murrain take thik wine, it so in
toxicate my brain, [plain.
That to be hanged by and by I cannot speak
Jack. You speak knavishly plain, seeing my
master you do mock :
In faith, ere you go, I will make you a lobcock.
Aside.
Father Grim, what say they of this Damon
abroad? [God.
Grim. All men are sorry for him, so help me
They say a false knave 'cused him to the king
wrongfully ; [to die,
And he is gone, and should be here to-morrow
Damon and Pithias
Or else his fellow, which is in prison, his room
shall supply. [y°u plain,
Chill not be his half for vorty shillings, I tell
I think Damon be too wise to return again.
Will. Will no man speak for them in this
woful case?
Grim. No, chill warrant you, one Master
Stippus is in place, [so,
Where he may do good, but he frames himself
Whatsoever Dionysius willeth to that he will
not say no :
Tis a subtle vox, he will not tread on thorns
for none,
A merry harecop 'tis, and a pleasant com
panion ;
A right courtier, and can provide for one.
Jack. Will, how like you this gear? your
master Aristippus also
At this collier's hand hath had a blow !
But in faith, father Grim, cannot ye colliers
Provide for yourselves far better than
courtiers? "[threadbare coats,
Grim. Yes, I trow : black colliers go in
Yet so provide they, that they have the fair
white groats. [in dirt,
Ich may say in counsel, though all day I moil
Chill not change lives with any in Dionysius'
court :
For though their apparel be never so fine,
Yet sure their credit is far worse than mine.
And, by Cock, I may say, for all their high
looks, [books :
I know some sticks full deep in merchants'
And deeper will fall in, as fame me tells,
As long as instead of money they take up
hawks' hoods and bells :
Damon and Pithias 59
Whereby they fall into a swelling disease,
which colliers do not know;
'T'ath a mad name : it is called, ich ween,
Centum pro cento.
Some other in courts make others laugh
merrily, [secretly.
When they wail and lament their own estate
Friendship is dead in court, hypocrisy doth
reign ;
Who is in favour now, to-morrow is out again :
The state is so uncertain that I, by my will,
Will never be courtier, but a collier still.
Will. It seemeth that colliers have a very
trim life. [troth,
Grim. Colliers get money still : tell me of
Is not that a trim life now, as the world go'th?
All day, though I toil with my main and might,
With money in my pouch I come home merry
at night, [Alison,
And sit down in my chair by my wife fair
And turn a crab in the fire, as merry as Pope
John.
Jack. That pope was a merry fellow, of
whom folk talk so much.
Grim. H'ad to be merry withal, h'ad gold
enough in his hutch.
Jack. Can gold make men merry? they say,
who can sing so merry a note
As he that is not able to change a groat?
Grim. Who sings in that case, sings never
in tune. I know for my part
That a heavy pouch with gold makes a light
heart ;
Of which I have provided for a dear year good
store, [more.
And these benters, I trow, shall anon get me
6o
Damon and Pithias
Will. By serving the court with coals you
gain'd all this money?
Grim. By the court only, I assure ye.
Jack. After what sort, I pray thee tell me?
Grim. Nay, there bate me an ace (quod
Bolton); I can wear a horn and blow it
not.
Jack. By'r Lady, the wiser man.
Grim. Shall I tell you by what sleight I got
all this money? [warrant ye.
Then ich were a noddy indeed ; no, no, I
Yet in few words I tell you this one thing,
He is a very fool that cannot gain by the king.
Witt. Well said, father Grim : you are a
wily collier and a brave,
I see now there is no knave to the old knave.
Grim. Such knaves have money when
courtiers have none.
But tell me, is it true that abroad is blown?
Jack. What is that?
Grim. Hath the king made those fair
damsels his daughters
To become now fine and trim barbers ?
Jack. Yea, truly, to his own person.
Grim. Good fellows, believe me, as the case
now stands/
I would give one sack of coals to be wash'd
at their hands,
If ich came so near them, for my wit chould
not give three chips
If ich could not steal one swap at their lips.
Jack. Will, this knave is drunk, let us dress
him.
Let us rifle him so that he have not one penny
to bless him,
And steal away his debenters too. [Aside.
Damon and Pithias 61
Witt. Content : invent the way, and I am
ready.
Jack. Faith, and I will make him a noddy.
Aside.
Father Grim, if you pray me well, I will wash
you and shave you too, [daughters do :
Even after the same fashion as the king's
In all points as they handle Dionysius, I will
dress you trim and fine.
Grim. Chuld vain learn that : come on
then, chill give thee a whole pint of wine
At tavern for thy labour, when cha money for
my benters here.
Here Will fetcheth a barber's basin, a
pot with water, a razor, and cloths,
and a pair of spectacles.
Jack. Come, mine own father Grim, sit
down. [chair.
Grim. Mass, to begin withal, here is a trim
Jack. What, man, I will use you like a
prince. Sir boy, fetch me my gear.
Will. Here, sir.
Jack. Hold up, father Grim.
Grim. Me-seem my head doth swim.
Jack. My costly perfumes made that. Away
with this, sir boy : be quick.
Aloyse, aloyse, how, how pretty it is ! is not
here a good face?
A fine owl's eyes, a mouth like an oven.
Father, you have good butter-teeth full seen.
[Aside] You were weaned, else you would have
been a great calf. [chin
Ah trim lips to sweep a manger! here is a
As soft as the hoof of an horse.
Grim. Doth the king's daughters rub so
hard?
62
Damon and Pithias
Jack. Hold your head straight, man, else
all will be marr'd.
By'r Lady, you are of good complexion,
A right Croyden sanguine, beshrew me. [ye?
Hold up, father Grim. Will, can you bestir
Grim. Methinks, after a marvellous fashion
you do besmear me.
Jack. It is with unguentum of Daucus
Maucus, that is very costly :
I give not this washing-ball to everybody.
After you have been dress 'd so finely at my
hand,
You may kiss any lady's lips within this land.
Ah, you are trimly wash'd ! how say you, is
not this trim water?
Grim. It may be wholesome, but it is
vengeance sour. [my razor.
Jack. It scours the better. Sir boy, give me
Will. Here at hand, sir.
Grim. God's aymes ! 'tis a chopping knife,
'tis no razor. [one ;
Jack. It is a razor, and that a very good
It came lately from Pallarrime, it cost me
twenty crowns alone.
Your eyes dazzle after your washing, these
spectacles put on : [one ?
Now view this razor, tell me, is it not a good
Grim. They be gay barnacles, yet I see
never the better.
Jack. Indeed they be a young sight, and
that is the matter ;
But I warrant you this razor is very easy.
Grim. Go to, then ; since you begun, do as
please ye.
Jack. Hold up, father Grim.
Grim. O, your razor doth hurt my lip.
Damon and Pithias 63
Jack. No, it scrapeth off a pimple to ease
you of the pip. [well?
I have done now, how say you? are you not
Grim. Cham lighter than ich was, the truth
to tell.
Jack. Will you sing after your shaving?
Grim. Mass, content; but chill be poll'd
first, ere I sing.
Jack. Nay, that shall not need; you are
poll'd near enough for this time.
Grim. Go to then lustily, I will sing in my
man's voice :
Chave a troubling base buss.
Jack. You are like to bear the bob, for we
will give it :
Set out your bussing base, and we will quiddle
upon it. Grim singeth Buss.
Jack sings. Too nidden and too nidden.
Will sings. Too nidden and toodle toodle
doo nidden ;
Is not Grim the collier most finely shaven?
Grim. Why, my fellows, think ich am a
cow, that you make such toying?
Jack. Nay, by'r Lady, you are no cow, by
your singing ;
Yet your wife told me you were an ox.
Grim. Did she so? 'tis a pestens quean, she
is full of such mocks.
But go to, let us sing out our song merrily.
[The song at the shaving of the Collier.
Jack. Such barbers God send you at all
times of need.
Will. That can dress you finely, and make
such quick speed;
Jack. Your face like an inkhorn now
shineth so gay —
Damon and Pithias
Will. That I with your nostrils of force
must needs play,
With too nidden and too nidden. [nidden.
Jack. With too nidden and todle todle doo
Is not Grim the collier most finely shaven?
Will. With shaving you shine like a pestle
of pork.
Jack. Here is the trimmest hog's flesh from
London to York. [awhile.
Will. It would be trim bacon to hang up
Jack. To play with this hoglin of force I
must smile,
With too nidden and too nidden.
Will. With too nidden and todle, &c.
Grim. Your shaving doth please me, I am
now your debtor.
Will. Your wife now will buss you, because
you are sweeter.
Grim. Near would I be polled, as near as
cham shaven. [you be shaken.
Will. Then out of your jerkin needs must
With too nidden and too nidden, &*c.
Grim. It is a trim thing to be wash'd in
the court.
Will. Their hands are so fine, that they
never do hurt. [was.
Grim. Me-think ich am lighter than ever ich
Will. Our shaving in the court hath
brought this to pass.
With too nidden and too nidden. [nidden.
Jack. With too nidden and todle todle doo
Is not Grim the collier most finely shaven?
Grim. This is trimly done : now chill pitch
my coals not far hence, [tway pence.
And then at the tavern shall bestow whole
Exit Grim.
Damon and Pithias 65
Jack. Farewell cock, before the collier again
do us seek,
Let us into the court to part the spoil, share
and share like.
Witt. Away then,
Exeunt.
Here entereth Grim.
Grim. Out alas, where shall I make my
moan?
My pouch, my benters, and all is gone;
Where is that villain that did me shave?
H'ath robbed me, alas, of all that I have.
Here entereth Snap.
Snap. Who crieth so at the court-gate?
Grim. I, the poor collier, that was robbed
of late.
Snap. Who robbed thee?
Grim. Two of the porter's men that did
shave me.
Snap. Why, the porter's men are no
barbers.
Grim. A vengeance take them, they are
quick carvers.
Snap. What stature were they of?
Grim. As little dapper knaves as they
trimly could scoff.
Snap. They are lackeys, as near as I can
guess them.
Grim. Such lackeys make me lack; an
halter beswinge them !
Cham undone, they have my benters too.
Snap. Dost thou know them, if thou seest
them?
Grim. Yea, that I do.
Snap. Then come with me, we will find
them out, and that quickly.
ED. F
66
Damon and Pithias
Grim. I follow, mast tipstaff; they be in
the court, it is likely.
Snap. Then cry no more, come away.
Exeunt.
Here enter eih Carisophus and Aris-
tippus.
Caris. If ever you will show your friend
ship, now is the time,
Seeing the king is displeased with me of my
part without any crime.
Arist. It should appear it comes of some
evil behaviour
That you so suddenly are cast out of favour.
Caris. Nothing have I done but this ; in
talk I overthwarted Eubulus [nysius,
When he lamented Pithias' case to King Dio-
Which to-morrow shall die, but for that false
knave Damon — [is gone.
He hath left his friend in the briars, and now
We grew so hot in talk, that Eubulus pro
tested plainly,
Which held his ears open to parasitical flattery.
And now in the king's ear like a bell he rings,
Crying that flatterers have been the destroyers
of kings.
Which talk in Dionysius' heart hath made so
deep impression,
That he trusteth me not, as heretofore, in no
condition : [that he
And some words brake from him, as though
Began to suspect my truth and honesty,
Which you of friendship I know will defend,
howsoever the world goeth : [an oath ?
My friend — for my honesty will you not take
Arist. To swear for your honesty I should
lose mine own.
Damon and Pithias 67
Cans. Should you so, indeed? I would
that were known.
Is your void friendship come thus to pass?
Arist. I follow the proverb : Amicus usque
ad aras.
Caris. Where can you say I ever lost mine
honesty ?
Arist. You never lost it, for you never had
it, as far as I know.
Caris. Say you so, friend Aristippus, whom
I trust so well?
Arist. Because you trust me, to you the
truth I tell.
Caris. Will you not stretch one point to
bring me in favour again?
Arist. I love no stretching; so I may breed
mine own pain.
Caris. A friend ought to shun no pain, to
stand his friend in stead.
Arist. Where true friendship is, it is so in
very deed.
Caris. Why, sir, hath not the chain of true
friendship linked us two together?
Arist. The chiefest link lacked thereof, it
must needs dissever.
Caris. What link is that? fain would I
know.
Arist. Honesty.
Caris. Doth honesty knit the perfect knot
in true friendship?
Arist. Yea, truly, and that knot so knit
will never slip.
Caris. Belike, then, there is no friendship
but between honest men.
Arist. Between the honest only; for,
Amicitia inter bonos, saith a learned man.
F 2
68
Damon and Pithias
Cans. Yet evil men use friendship in things
unhonest, where fancy doth serve.
Arist. That is no friendship, but a lewd
liking; it lasts but a while.
Cam. What is the perfectest friendship
among men that ever grew?
Arist. Where men loved one another, not for
profit, but for virtue.
Cam. Are such friends both alike in joy
and also in smart?
Arist. They must needs; for in two bodies
they have but one heart.
Cam. Friend Aristippus, deceive me not
with sophistry :
Is there no perfect friendship, but where is
virtue and honesty?
Arist. What a devil then meant Carisophus
To join in friendship with fine Aristippus?
In whom is as much virtue, truth and honesty,
As there are true feathers in the three Cranes
of the Vintry :
Yet these feathers have the shadow of lively
feathers, the truth to scan, [honest man.
But Carisophus hath not the shadow of an
To be plain, because I know thy villainy,
In abusing Dionysius to many men's injury,
Under the cloak of friendship I play'd with
his head,
And sought means how thou with thine own
fancy might be led.
My friendship thou soughtest for thine own
commodity,
As worldly men do, by profit measuring amity :
Which I perceiving, to the like myself I
framed, [blamed.
Wherein I know of the wise I shall not be
Damon and Pithias 69
If you ask me, Quare ? I answer, Quia prudentis
est multum dissimulare.
To speak more plainer, as the proverb doth go,
In faith, Carisophus, cum Cretense cretizo.
Yet a perfect friend I show myself to thee in
one thing,
I do not dissemble now I say I will not speak
for thee to the king : [thee,
Therefore sink in thy sorrow, I do not deceive
A false knave I found thee, a false knave I
leave thee. Exit.
Cans. He is gone ! is this friendship, to
leave his friend in the plain field?
Well, I see now I myself have beguiled,
In matching with that false fox in amity,
Which hath me used to his own commodity :
Which seeing me in distress, unfeignedly goes
his ways. [now-a-days ;
Lo, this is the perfect friendship among men
Which kind of friendship toward him I used
secretly ; [craftily,
And he with me the like hath requited me
It is the gods' judgment, I see it plainly,
For all the world may know, Incidi in foveam
quam fed. [know,
Well, I must content myself, none other help I
Until a merrier gale of wind may hap to blow.
Exit.
[Enter Eubulus.
Eubul. Who deals with kings in matters
of great weight,
When f roward will doth bear the chiefest sway,
Must yield of force; there need no subtle
sleight,
Ne painted speech the matter to convey.
No prayer can move when kindled is the ire.
Damon and Pithias
The more ye quench, the more increased is the
fire.
This thing I prove in Pithias' woful case,
Whose heavy hap with tears I do lament :
The day is come, when he, in Damon's place,
Must lose his life : the time is fully spent, [vail,
Nought can my words now with the king pre-
Against the wind and striving stream I sail :
For die thou must, alas ! thou seely Greek.
Ah, Pithias, now come is thy doleful hour :
A perfect friend, none such a world to seek.
Though bitter death shall give thee sauce full
sour,
Yet for thy faith enroll 'd shall be thy name
Among the gods within the book of fame.
Who knoweth his case, and will not melt in
tears ?
His guiltless blood shall trickle down anon.
Then the Muses sing.
Alas, what hap hast thou, poor Pithias, now to
die!
Woe worth the man which for his death hath
given us cause to cry.
Eubul. Methink I hear, with yellow
rented hairs,
The Muses frame their notes, my state to
moan :
Among which sort, as one that mourneth with
heart,
In doleful tunes myself will bear a part.
Muses. Woe worth the man which for his
death, &*c.
Eubul. With yellow rented hairs, come on,
you Muses nine;
Fill now my breast with heavy tunes, to me
your plaints resign:
Damon and Pithias 71
For Pithias I bewail, which presently must die,
Woe worth the man which for his death hath
given us cause, &c.
Muses. Woe worth the man which for his,
Eubul. Was ever such a man, that would
die for his friend?
I think even from the heavens above the gods
did him down send
To show true friendship's power, which forc'd
thee now to die.
Woe worth the man which for thy death, &>c.
Muses. Woe worth the man, &c.
Eubul. What tiger's whelp was he, that
Damon did accuse?
What faith hast thou, which for thy friend thy
death doth not refuse?
O heavy hap hadst thou to play this tragedy I
Woe worth the man which for thy death, &c.
Muses. Woe worth the man, &c.
Eubul. Thou young and worthy Greek,
that showeth such perfect love,
The gods receive thy simple ghost into the
heavens above: [ing eye.
Thy death we shall lament with many a weep-
Woe worth the man, which for his death, &C.
Muses. Woe worth the man, which for thy
death hath given us cause to cry. Finis.
Eubul. Eternal be your fame, ye Muses, for
that in misery
Ye did vouchsafe to strain your notes to walk.
My heart is rent in two with this miserable
case,
Yet am I charged by Dionysius' mouth to see
this place
At all points ready for the execution of Pithias.
Damon and Pithias
Need hath no law : will I or nill I, it must be
done, [hand.
But lo, the bloody minister is even here at
Enter Gronno.
Gronno, I came hither now to understand
If all things are well appointed for the execu
tion of Pithias.
The king himself will see it done here in this
place.
Gronno. Sir, all things are ready; here is
the place, here is the hand, here is the
sword :
Here lacketh none but Pithias, whose head at
a word,
If he were present, I could finely strike off —
You may report that all things are ready.
Eubul. I go with an heavy heart to report
it. Ah woful Pithias !
Full near now is thy misery. [Exit.
Gronno. I marvel very much, under what
constellation
All hangmen are born, for they are hated of
all, beloved of none ;
Which hatred is showed by this point
evidently :
The hangman always dwells in the vilest place
of the city. [why,
That such spite should be, I know no cause
Unless it be for their office's sake, which is
cruel and bloody.
Yet some men must do it to execute laws.
Me-think they hate me without any just cause.
But I must look to my toil ; Pithias must lose
his head at one blow,
Else the boys will stone me to death in the
street, as I go.
Damon and Pithias 73
But hark, the prisoner cometh, and the king
also : [forego.
I see there is no help, Pithias his life must
Here entereih Dionysius and Eubulus.
Diony. Bring forth Pithias, that pleasant
companion,
Which took me at my word, and became pledge
for Damon.
It pricketh fast upon noon, I do him no in
jury [me,
If now he lose his head, for so he requested
If Damon return not, which now in Greece is
full merry :
Therefore shall Pithias pay his death, and that
by and by. [city,
He thought belike, if Damon were out of the
I would not put him to death for some foolish
pity :
But seeing it was his request, I will not be
mock'd, he shall die;
Bring him forth.
Here entereth Snap.
Snap. Give place; let the prisoner come
by 5 g"*ve place.
Diony. How say you, sir; where is Damon,
your trusty friend ? [vow :
You have play'd a wise part, I make God a
You know what time a day it is; make you
ready.
Pithias. Most ready I am, mighty king,
and most ready also
For my true friend Damon this life to forego,
Even at your pleasure.
Diony. A true friend ! a false traitor, that
so breaketh his oath ! [so loth.
Thou shalt lose thy life though thou be never
74
Damon and Pithias
Pithias. 1 am not loth to do whatsoever I
said, [may'd :
Ne at this present pinch of death am I dis-
The gods now I know have heard my fervent
prayer, [great honour,
That they have reserved me to this passing
To die for my friend, whose faith even now I
do not mistrust ; [and just :
My friend Damon is no false traitor, he is true
But sith he is no god, but a man, he must do
as he may,
The wind may be contrary, sickness may let
him, or some misadventure by the way,
Which the eternal gods turn all to my glory,
That fame may resound how Pithias for Damon
did die : [can,
He breaketh no oath which doth as much as he
His mind is here, he hath some let, he is but a
man. [require,
That he might not return of all the gods I did
Which now to my joy doth grant my desire.
But why do I stay any longer, seeing that one
man's death
May suffice, O king, to pacify thy wrath?
O thou minister of justice, do thine office by
and by, [die.
Let not thy hand tremble, for I tremble not to
Stephano, the right pattern of true fidelity,
Commend me to thy master, my sweet Damon,
and of him crave liberty
When I am dead, in my name; for thy trusty
services
Hath well deserved a gift far better than this.
O my Damon, farewell now for ever, a true
friend, to me most dear; [of thee,
Whiles life doth last, my mouth shall still talk
Damon and Pithias 75
And when I am dead, my simple ghost, true
witness of amity, [be.
Shall hover about the place, wheresoever thou
Diony. Eubulus, this gear is strange; and
yet because [the law.
Damon hath fals'd his faith, Pithias shall have
Gronno, despoil him, and eke dispatch him
quickly.
Gronno. It shall be done; since you came
into this place [space.
I might have stroken off seven heads in this
By'r Lady, here are good garments, these are
mine, by the rood !
It is an evil wind that bloweth no man good.
Now, Pithias, kneel down, ask me blessing
like a pretty boy,
And with a trice thy head from thy shoulders
I will convey.
Here entereth Damon running, and
stays the sword.
Damon. Stay, stay, stay ! for the king's
advantage, stay! [fully pass'd;
O mighty king, mine appointed time is not yet
Within the compass of mine hour, lo, here I
come at last.
A life I owe, and a life I will you pay :
O my Pithias, my noble pledge, my constant
friend !
Ah ! woe is me ! for Damon's sake, how near
were thou to thy end !
Give place to me, this room is mine, on this
stage must I play.
Damon is the man, none ought but he to Dio-
nysius his blood to pay.
Gronno. Are you come, sir? you might
have tarried, if you had been wise :
76
Damon and Pithias
For your hasty coming you are like to know
the price.
Pithias. O thou cruel minister, why didst
not thou thine office?
Did I not bid thee make haste in any wise?
Hast thou spared to kill me once, that I may
die twice?
Not to die for my friend is present death to
me ; and alas !
Shall I see my sweet Damon slain before my
face? [Dionysius,
What double death is this ? but, O . mighty
Do true justice now : weigh this aright, thou
noble Eubulus;
Let me have no wrong, as now stands the
case :
Damon ought not to die, but Pithias :
By misadventure, not by his will, his hour is
past; therefore I,
Because he came not at his just time, ought
justly to die : [king,
So was my promise, so was thy promise, O
All this court can bear witness of this thing.
Damon. Not so, O mighty king : to justice
it is contrary,
That for another man's fault the innocent
should die :
Ne yet is my time plainly expired, it is not
fully noon [the town.
Of this my day appointed, by all the clocks in
Pithias. Believe no clock, the hour is past
by the sun.
Damon. Ah my Pithias, shall we now break
the bonds of amity?
Will you now overthwart me, which heretofore
so well did agree?
Damon and Pithias 77
Pithias. My Damon, the gods forbid but
we should agree;
Therefore agree to this, let me perform the
promise I made for thee.
Let me die for thee : do me not that injury,
Both to break my promise, and to suffer me to
see thee die, [grant me,
Whom so dearly I love : this small request
I shall never ask thee more, my desire is but
friendly. [triumphantly,
Do me this honour, that fame may report
That Pithias for his friend Damon was con
tented to die.
Damon. That you were contented for me to
die, fame cannot deny; [villainy,
Yet fame shall never touch me with such a
To report that Damon did suffer his friend
Pithias for him guiltless to die ;
Therefore content thyself, the gods requite thy
constant faith, [nysius5 wrath.
None but Damon's blood can appease Dio-
And now, O mighty king, to you my talk I
convey ; [to stay,
Because you gave me leave my worldly things
To requite that good turn, ere I die, for your
behalf this I say : [decketh so,
Although your regal state dame Fortune
That like a king in worldly wealth abundantly
ye flow, [tread,
Yet fickle is the ground whereon all tyrants
A thousand sundry cares and fears do haunt
their restless head.
No trusty band, no faithful friends do guard
thy hateful state.
And why? whom men obey for deadly fear,
sure them they deadly hate.
Damon and Pithias
That you may safely reign, by love get friends,
whose constant faith
Will never fail, this counsel gives poor Damon
at his death.
Friends are the surest guard for kings, golden
time do wear away,
And other precious things do fade, friendship
will never decay. [safely sleep ;
Have friends in store therefore, so shall you
Have friends at home, of foreign foes so need
you take no keep. [never tell ;
Abandon flatt'ring tongues, whose clacks truth
Abase the ill, advance the good, in whom dame
virtue dwells ; [earthly kings,
Let them your playfellows be : but O, you
Your sure defence and strongest guard stands
chiefly in faithful friends.
Then get you friends by liberal deeds; and
here I make an end. [Pithias' friend.
Accept this counsel, mighty king, of Damon,
O my Pithias ! now farewell for ever, let me
kiss thee ere I die,
My soul shall honour thee, thy constant faith
above the heavens shall fly.
Come, Gronno, do thine office now ; why is thy
colour so dead?
My neck is so short, that thou wilt never have
honesty in striking off this head.
Diony. Eubulus, my spirits are suddenly
appalled, my limbs wax weak :
This strange friendship amazeth me so, that I
can scarce speak.
Pithias. O mighty king, let some pity your
noble heart meve;
You require but one man's death ; take Pithias,
let Damon live.
Damon and Pithias 79
Eubul. O unspeakable friendship !
Damon. Not so, he hath not offended, there
is no cause why [should die.
My constant friend Pithias for Damon's sake
Alas, he is but young, he may do good to
many. [me die?
Thou coward minister, why dost thou not let
Gronno. My hand with sudden fear
quivereth.
Pithias. O noble king, show mercy upon
Damon, let Pithias die.
Diony. Stay, Gronno, my flesh trembleth.
Eubulus, what shall I do? [these two?
Were there ever such friends on earth as were
What heart is so cruel that would divide them
asunder? [wonder.
O noble friendship, I must yield ! at thy force I
My heart this rare friendship hath pierc'd to
the root,
And quenched all my fury : this sight hath
brought this about,
Which thy grave counsel, Eubulus, and learned
persuasion could never do.
To Damon and Pithias. O noble gentlemen,
the immortal gods above [my behoof :
Hath made you play this tragedy, I think, for s
Before this day I never knew what perfect
friendship meant. [wholly bent.
My cruel mind to bloody deeds was full and
My fearful life I thought with terror to defend,
But now I see there is no guard unto a faithful
friend, [need :
Which will not spare his life at time of present
0 happy kings, who in your courts have two
such friends indeed ! [plainly see,
1 honour friendship now, which that you may
8o
Damon and Pithias
Damon, have thou thy life, from death I pardon
thee; [me lend.
For which good turn, I crave, this honour do
O friendly heart, let me link with you, to you
make me the third friend.
My court is yours ; dwell here with me, by my
commission large,
Myself, my realm, my wealth, my health, I
commit to your charge : [that thing,
Make me a third friend, more shall I joy in
Than to be called, as I am, Dionysius the
mighty king.
Damon. O mighty king, first for my life
most humble thanks I give,
And next, I praise the immortal gods that did
your heart so meve, [heavenly lore,
That you would have respect to friendship's
Foreseeing well he need not fear which hath
true friends in store.
For my part, most noble king, as a third
friend, welcome to our friendly society ;
But you must forget you are a king, for friend
ship stands in true equality. [sessions,
Diony. Unequal though I be in great pos-
Yet full equal shall you find me in my changed
conditions. [away ;
Tyranny, flattery, oppression, lo, here I cast
Justice, truth, love, friendship, shall be my
joy. [end ;
True friendship will I honour unto my life's
My greatest glory shall be to be counted a
perfect friend.
Pithias. For this your deed, most noble
king, the gods advance your name,
And since to friendship's lore you list your
princely heart to frame,
Damon and Pithias 81
With joyful heart, O king, most welcome now
to me,
With you will I knit the perfect knot of amity.
Wherein I shall instruct you so, and Damon
here your friend,
That you may know of amity the mighty force,
and eke the joyful end : [ground,
And how that kings do stand upon a fickle
Within whose realm at time of need no faithful
friends are found.
Diony. Your instruction will I follow; to
you myself I do commit.
Eubulus, make haste to fet new apparel, fit
For my new friends.
Eubul. I go with joyful heart. O happy
day ! [Aside.] Exit.
Gronno. I am glad to hear this word.
Though their lives they do not lese,
No reason the hangman should lose his fees :
These are mine, I am gone with a trice.
Exit.
Here entereth Eubulus with new
garments.
Diony. Put on these garments now; go in
with me, the jewels of my court.
Damon and Pithias. We go with joyful
hearts.
Steph. O Damon, my dear master, in all
this joy remember me.
Diony. My friend Damon, he asketh reason.
Damon. Stephano, for thy good service be
thou free.
Exeunt Dion [and all but Stephano].
Steph. O most happy, pleasant, joyful, and
triumphant day !
Poor Stephano now shall live in continual joy :
ED. G
82
Damon and Pithias
Vive le roy, with Damon and Pithias, in
perfect amity,
Vive tu, Stephano, in thy pleasant liberality :
Wherein I joy as much as he that hath a con
quest won,
I am a free man, none so merry as I now
under the sun.
Farewell, my lords, now the gods grant you all
the sum of perfect amity,
And me long to enjoy my long-desired liberty.
Exit.
Here entereth Eubulus beating Can-
sophus.
Away, villain ! away, you flatt'ring parasite !
Away, the plague of this court ! thy filed
tongue, that forged lies,
No more here shall do hurt : away, false syco
phant ! wilt thou not ?
Cam. I am gone, sir, seeing it is the king's
pleasure.
Why whip ye me alone? a plague take Damon
and Pithias ! since they came hither
I am driven to seek relief abroad, alas ! I know
not whither.
Yet, Eubulus, though I be gone, hereafter
time shall try,
There shall be found even in this court as great
flatterers as I.
Well, for a while I will forego the court,
though to my great pain :
I doubt not but to spy a time, when I may
creep in again. Exit.
Eubulus. The serpent that eats men alive,
flattery, with all her brood,
Is whipp'd away in princes' courts, which yet
did never good.
Damon and Pithias 83
What force, what mighty power true friend
ship may possess, [doth express :
To all the world Dionysius' court now plainly
Who since to faithful friends he gave his
willing ear,
Most safely sitteth on his seat, and sleeps
devoid of fear. [ent'red in,
Purged is the court of vice, since friendship
Tyranny quails, he studieth now with love each
heart to win.
Virtue is had in price, and hath his just
reward ;
And painted speech, that gloseth for gain, from
gifts is quite debarr'd.
One loveth another now for virtue, not for
gain ;
Where virtue doth not knit the knot, there
friendship cannot reign ;
Without the which no house, no land, no
kingdom can endure, [fire,
As necessary for man's life as water, air, and
Which frameth the mind of man all honest
things to do. [consents thereto.
Unhonest things friendship ne craveth, ne yet
In wealth a double joy, in woe a present stay,
A sweet companion in each state true friend
ship is alway.
A sure defence for kings, a perfect trusty band,
A force to assail, a shield to defend the
enemies' cruel hand ;
A rare and yet the greatest gift that God can
give to man ;
So rare, that scarce four couple of faithful
friends have been, since the world began.
A gift so strange and of such price, I wish all
kings to have ;
G 2
84 Damon and Pithias
But chiefly yet, as duty bindeth, I humbly
crave,
True friendship and true friends, full fraught
with constant faith,
The giver of all friends, the Lord, grant her,
most noble Queen Elizabeth.
The Last Song.
The strongest guard that kings can have
Are constant friends their state to save:
True friends are constant both in word and
deed,
True friends are present, and help at each need :
True friends talk truly, they glose for no gain,
When treasure consumeth, true friends will
remain ;
True friends for their true prince refuseth not
their death:
The Lord grant her such friends, most noble
Queen Elizabeth.
Long may she govern in honour and wealth,
Void of all sickness, in most perfect health;
Which health to prolong, as true friends re
quire,
God grant she may have her own heart's
desire :
Which friends will defend with most steadfast
faith, [Queen Elizabeth.
The Lord grant her such friends, most noble
FINIS.
THE TRAGEDY
OF
FERREX and PORREX
SET FORTH WITHOUT ADDITION OR ALTERA
TION, BUT ALTOGETHER AS THE SAME WAS
SHOWED ON STAGE BEFORE THE
QUEEN'S MAJESTY, ABOUT NINE
YEARS PAST, VIZ., THE 1 8TH
DAY OF JANUARY, 1561
BY THE GENTLEMEN
OF THE INNER-
TEMPLE
THE PUBLISHER] TO THE
READER
WHERE this tragedy was for furniture of part of the
grand Christmas in the Inner-Temple first written
about nine years ago by the Right Honourable Thomas,
now Lord Buckhurst, and by T. Norton, and after
showed before her Majesty, and never intended by the
authors thereof to be published : yet one W.G. getting a
copy thereof at some young man's hand that lacked a
little money and much discretion, in the last great
plague, A.M. 1563, about five years past, while the said
Lord was out of England, and T. Norton far out of
London, and neither of them both made privy, put it
forth exceedingly corrupted : even as if by means of a
broker for hire, he should have enticed into his house a
fair maid and done her villany, and after all to have be-
scratched her face, torn her apparel, berayed and dis
figured her, and then thrust her out of doors dis-
honested. In such plight, after long wandering, she
came at length home to the sight of her friends, who
scant knew her but by a few tokens and marks remain
ing. They, the authors I mean, though they were very
much displeased that she so ran abroad without leave,
whereby she caught her shame, as many wantons do,
yet seeing the case as it is remediless, have for common
honesty and shamefacedness new apparelled, trimmed
and attired her in such form as she was before. In
which better form since she hath come to me, I have
harboured her for her friends' sake and her own ; and
I do not doubt, her parents the authors will not now
be discontent that she go abroad among you, good
readers, so it be in honest company. For she is by my
encouragement Mid others soniewhat less ashamed of
the dishonesty done to her because it was by fraud and
force. If she be welcome among you, and gently en-
\
The Argument of the Tragedy 87
tertained, in favour of the house from whence she is
descended, and of her own nature courteously disposed
to offend no man, her friends will thank you for it.
If not, but that she shall be still reproached with her
former mishap, or quarrelled at by envious persons,
she, poor gentlewoman, will surely play Lucrece's part,
and of herself die for shame ; and I shall wish, that
she had tarried still at home with me, where she was
welcome : for she did never put me to more charge,
but this one poor black gown lined with white that I
have now given her to go abroad among you withal.
THE ARGUMENT OF THE TRAGEDY
GORBODUC, King of Britain, divided his realm in_his
lifetime to his sons, Ferrex and Porrex : the sons fell
to dissension : the younger killed the elder : the mother
that more dearly loved the elder, for revenge killed
the younger : the people, moved with the cruelty of the
fact, rose in rebellion and slew both father and mother :
the nobility assembled, and most terribly destroyed the
rebels : and afterwards, for want of issue of the prince
whereby the succession of the crown became uncertain,
they fell to civil war, in which both they and many of
their issues were slain, and the land for a long time
almost desolate and miserably wasted.
giant** of Hje
GORBODUC, King of Great Britain
VIDENA, Queen, and Wife to King Gorboduc
FERREX, Elder Son to King Gorboduc
PORREX, Younger Son to King Gorboduc
CLOYTON, Duke of Cornwall
FERGUS, Duke of Albany
MANDUD, Duke of Loegris
GWENARD, Duke of Cumberland
EUBULUS, Secretary to the King
AROSTUS, a Councillor to the King
DORDAN, a Councillor assigned by the King to
his Eldest Son Ferrex
PHILANDER, a Councillor assigned by the King
to his Youngest Son Porrex. Both being of
the old King's Council before
HERMON, a Parasite, remaining with Ferrex
TYNDAR, a Parasite, remaining with Porrex
NUNTIUS, a Messenger of the Elder Brother's
Death
NUNTIUS, a Messenger of Duke Fergus' rising
in Arms
MARCELLA, a
Chamber
Lady of the Queen's Privy
CHORUS, Four Ancient and Sage Men of Britain
THE TRAGEDY OF FERREX
AND PORREX
THE ORDER OF THE DUMB SHOW BEFORE THE
FIRST ACT, AND THE SIGNIFICATION THEREOF
FIRST the music of violins began to play, during
which came in upon the stage six wild men clothed in
leaves ; of whom the first bare in his neck a faggot of
small sticks, which they all, both severally and to
gether, assayed with all their strength to break, but it
could not be broken by them. At the length one of
them plucked out one of the sticks and break it ; and the
rest plucking out all the other sticks one after another,
did easily break them, the same being severed ; which,
being conjoined, they had before attempted in vain.
After they had this done, they departed the stage, and
the music ceased. Hereby was signified, that_a_jstate
knit in unity, doth continue strong against all force ;
but, being divided, is easily destroyed. As befell upon u -. V~>-'
"
Duke Gorboduc dividing his land to his two sons, which ,
he before held in monarchy, and upon the dissension of ' .
the brethren to whom it was divided.
ACT I. SCENE I.
VIDENA. FERREX.
Vid. The silent night that brings the quiet
pause,
From painful travels of the weary day,
Prolongs my careful thoughts, and makes me
blame
The slow Aurore, that so for love or shame
Doth long delay to show her blushing face ;
90 Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. i
And now the day renews my griefful plaint.
Ferr. My gracious lady and my mother dear,
Pardon my grief for your so grieved mind,
To ask what cause tormenteth so your heart.
Vid. So great a wrong, and so unjust
despite,
&* Without all cause, against all course of kind !
Ferr. Such causeless wrong and so unjust
despite,
May have redress, or at the least, revenge.
Vid. Neither, my son; such is the froward
will,
The person such, such my mishap and thine.
Ferr. Mine know I none, but grief for your
distress. [no :
Vid. Yes ; mine for thine, my son : a father ?
In kind a father, not in kindliness. [all,
Ferr. My father? why? I know nothing at
Wherein I have misdone unto his grace. [me :
Vid. Therefore, the more unkind to thee and
For, knowing well, my son, the tender love
That I have ever borne and bear to thee,
He, griev'd thereat, is not content alone
To spoil thee of my sight, my chiefest joy,
But thee, of thy birthright, and heritage,
Causeless, unkindly, and in wrongful wise,
Against all law and right he will bereave :
*f Half of his kingdom he will give away,
x, Ferr. To whom?
Vid. Ev'n to Porrex his younger son ;
Whose growing pride I do so sore suspect,
That being rais'd to equal rule with thee,
Methinks I see his envious heart to swell,
Fill'd with disdain and with ambitious hope..
The end the gods do know, whose altars I
Full oft have made in vain, of cattle slain
Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. i 91
To send the sacred smoke to heaven's throne,
For thee my son ; if things do so succeed,
As now my jealous mind misdeemeth sore.
Ferr. Madam, leave care and careful plaint
for me !
Just hath my father been to every wight :
His first injustice he will not extend
To me, I trust, that give no cause thereof ;
My brother's pride shall hurt himself, not me.
Vid. So grant the gods ! But yet thy father
Hath firmly fixed his unmoved mind, [so
That plaints and prayers can no whit avail ;
For those have I assay 'd, but even this day,
He will endeavour to procure assent
Of all his council to his fond device. [born
Ferr. Their ancestors from race to race have
True faith to my forefathers and their seed :
I trust they eke will bear the like to me. [of,
Vid. There resteth all ; but if they fail there-
And if the end bring forth an ill success,
On them and theirs the mischief shall befall,
And so I pray the gods requite it them !
And so they will, for so is wont to be
When lords and trusted rulers under kings,
To please the present fancy of the prince, [ance.
With wrong transpose the course of govern-
Murders, mischief, or civil sword at length,
Or mutual treason, or a just revenge,
When right-succeeding line returns again
By Jove's just judgment and deserved wrath,
Brings them to cruel and reproachful death,
And roots their names and kindreds from the
earth.
Ferr. Mother, content you, you shall see the
end. [first !
Vid. The end ? thy end I fean Jove end me
Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. 2
ACT I. SCENE II.
GORBODUC. AROSTUS. PHILANDER.
EUBULUS. £ •
Gorb. My lords, whose grave advice and
faithful aid
Have long upheld my honour and my realm,
And brought me to this age from tender years,
Guiding so great estate with great renown,
Now more importeth me, than erst, to use
Your faith and wisdom, whereby yet I reign ;
That when by death my life and rule shall cease,
The kingdom yet may with unbroken course
Have certain prince, by whose undoubted right,
Your wealth and peace may stand in quiet stay :
: And eke that they, whom nature hath prepar'd
In time to take my place in princely seat,
While in their father's time their pliant youth
Yields to the frame of skilful governance,
May so be taught and train 'd in noble arts,
As what their fathers which have reign 'd before
Have with great fame derived down to them,
With honour they may leave unto their seed ;
And not be thought for their unworthy life,
And for their lawless swerving out of kind,
Worthy to lose what law and kind them gave :
But that they may preserve the common peace,
The cause that first began and still maintains
The lineal course of kings' inheritance.
For me, for mine, for you, and for the state,
Whereof both I and you have charge and care,
Thus do I mean to use your wonted faith
^To me and mine, and to your native land.
My lords, be plain, without all wry respect,
Or poisonous craft to speak in pleasing wise,
Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. 2 93
Lest as the blame of ill succeeding things
Shall light on you, so light the harms also.
Aros. Your good acceptance so, most noble
Of such our faithfulness, as heretofore [king,
We have employ 'd in duties to your grace,
And to this realm whose worthy head you are,
Well proves that neither you mistrust at all,
Nor we shall need in boasting wise to show
Our truth to you, nor yet our wakeful care
For you, for yours, and for our native land.
Wherefore, O king, I speak as one for all,
Sith all as one do bear you egal faith :
Doubt not to use our counsels and our aids
Whose honours, goods, and lives, are whole
avow'd
To serve, to aid, and to defend your grace.
Gorb. My lords, I thank you all. This is
the case : [care
Ye know the gods, who have the sovereign
For kings, for kingdoms, and for common
weals,
Gave me two sons in my more lusty age,
Who now in my decaying years are grown
Well towards riper state of mind and strength,
To take in hand some greater princely charge.
As yet they live and spend [their] hopeful days
With me and with their mother here in court :
Their age now asketh other place and trade,
And mine also doth ask another change ;
Theirs to more travail, mine to greater ease.
When fatal death shall end my mortal life,
{'My purpose is to leave unto them twain
The realm divided in two sundry parts : - "
The one, Ferrex mine elder son shall have,
The other, shall the younger Porrex rule.
That both my purpose may more firmly stand,
Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. 2
And eke that they may better rule their charge,
I mean forthwith to place them in the same :
That in my life they may both learn to rule,
And I may joy to see their ruling well.
This is in sum what I would have ye weigh :
First, whether ye allow my whole device,
And think it good for me, for them, for you,
And for our country, mother of us all :
And if ye like it, and allow it well,
Then for their guiding and their governance,
Show forth such means of circumstance,
As ye think meet to be both known and kept.
Lo, this is all ; now tell me your advice.
Aros. And this is much, and asketh great
advice ;
But for my part, my sovereign lord and king,
This do I think : Your majesty doth know,
How under you in justice and in peace,
; Great wealth and honour long we have en joy 'd ;
So as we can not seem with greedy minds
To wish for change of prince or governance :
But if we like your purpose and device,
Our liking must be deemed to proceed
Of rightful reason, and of heedful care,
Not for ourselves, but for the common state,
Sith our own state doth need no better change :
I think in all as erst your grace hath said.
First, when you shall unload your aged mind
Of heavy care and troubles manifold,
And lay the same upon my lords your sons,
Whose growing years may bear the burden
(And long I pray the gods to grant it so) [long,
And in your life while you shall so behold
Their rule, their virtues, and their noble deeds,
Such as their kind behighteth to us all ;
Great be the profits that shall grow thereof,
Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. 2 95
Your age in quiet shall the longer last,
Your lasting age shall be their longer stay :
For cares of kings, that rule as you have rul'd
For public wealth and not for private joy,
Do waste man's life, and hasten crooked age
With furrow 'd face and with enfeebled limbs,
To draw on creeping death a swifter pace. ~
They two, yet young, shall bear the parted reign
With greater ease, than one, now old,*'alone
Can wield the whole, for whom much harder is
With lessen 'd strength the double weight to
bear.
Your eye, your counsel, and the grave regard
Of father, yea, of such a father's name,
Now at beginning of their sunder'd reign
When is the hazard of their whole success,
Shall bridle so their force of youthful heats,
And so restrain the rage of insolence
Which most assails the young and noble minds,
And so shall guide and train in temper'd stay
Their yet green bending wits with reverent awe,
As now inur'd with virtues at the first,
Custom, O king, shall bring delightfulness.
By use of virtue, vice shall grow in hate ;
But if you so dispose it, that the day [reign,
Which ends your life, shall first begin their
Great is the peril, what will be the end,
When such beginning of such liberties
Void of such stays as in your life do lie,
Shall leave them free to random of their will,
An open prey to traitorous flattery,
The greatest pestilence of noble youth :
Which peril shall be past, if in your life,
Their temper'd youth with aged father's awe
Be brought in ure of skilful stayedness ;
And in your life, their lives disposed so,
96 Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. 2
Shall length your noble life in joyfulness.
Thus think I that your grace hath wisely
thought,
And that your tender care of common weal
Hath bred this thought, so to divide your land,
And plant your sons to bear the present rule
While you yet live to see their ruling well,
That you may longer live by joy therein.
What further means behooveful are and meet,
At greater leisure may your grace devise,
When all have said ; and when we be agreed
If this be best to part the realm in twain,
And place your sons in present government :
Whereof as I have plainly said my mind,
So would I hear the rest of all my lords.
Phil. In part I think as hath been said
In part again my mind is otherwise. [before,
As for dividing of this realm in twain,
And lotting out the fame in egal parts,
To either of my lords your grace's sons,
That think I best for this your realm's behoof,
For profit and advancement of your sons,
And for your comfort and your honour eke :
But so to place them while your life do last,
To yield to them your royal governance,
To be above them only in the name
Of father, not in kingly state also,
I think not good for you, for them, nor us.
This kingdom since the bloody civil field,
Where Morgan slain did yield his conquer 'd
Unto his cousin's sword in Camberland, [part
Containeth all that whilom did suffice
Three noble sons of your forefather Brute :
So your two sons, it may suffice also ;
The mo the stronger, if they gree in one :
The smaller compass that the realm doth hold
Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. 2 97
The easier is the sway thereof to wield ;
The nearer justice to the wronged poor
The smaller charge, and yet enough for one.
And when the region is divided so
. That brethren be the lords of either part, [both,
Such strength doth nature knit between them
In sundry bodies by conjoined love,
That not as two, but one of doubled force,
Each is to other as a sure defence ;
The nobleness and glory of the one,
Doth sharp the courage of the other's mind
With virtuous envy to contend for praise :
And such an egalness hath nature made,
Between the brethren of one father's seed,
As an unkindly wrong it seems to be,
To throw the brother subject under feet
Of him, whose peer he is by course of kind :
And nature that did make this egalness,
Oft so repineth at so great a wrong,
That oft she raiseth up a grudging grief
In younger brethren at the elder's state :
Whereby both towns and kingdoms have been
rased,
And famous stocks of royal blood destroyed :
The brother, that should be the brother's aid,
And have a wakeful care for his defence,
Gapes for his death, and blames the lingering
years
That draw not forth his end with faster course ;
And oft impatient of so long delays,
With hateful slaughter he prevents the fates,
And heaps a just reward for brother's blood,
With endless vengeance on his stock for aye.
Such mischiefs here are wisely met withal ;
If egal state may nourish egal love, [good.
Where none hath cause to grudge at other's
ED. H
98
Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. 2
But now the head to stoop beneath them both,
Ne kind, ne reason, ne good order bears.
And oft it hath been seen, where nature's course
Hath been perverted in disordered wise, [rule,
When fathers cease to know that they should
The children cease to know they should obey :
And often over-kindly tenderness
Is mother of unkindly stubbornness.
I speak not this in envy or reproach,
As if I grudg'd the glory of your sons,
Whose honour I beseech the gods increase :
Nor yet as if I thought there did remain
So filthy cankers in their noble breasts,
Whom I esteem (which is their greatest praise)
Undoubted children of so good a king ; •
Only I mean to show by certain rules,
Which kind hath graft within the mind of man,
That nature hath her order and her course,
Which, being broken, doth corrupt the state
Of minds and things e'en in the best of all.
My lord, your sons may learn to rule of you;
Your own example in your noble court
Is fittest guider of their youthful years.
If you desire to see some present joy
By sight of their well ruling in your life,
See them obey, so shall you see them rule :
Whoso obeyeth not with humbleness,
Will rule with outrage and with insolence.
Long may they rule, I do beseech the gods ;
But long may they learn, ere they begin to rule.
If kind and fates would suffer, I would wish
Them aged princes and immortal kings.
Wherefore, most noble king,\ I well assent
Between your sons that you divide your realm,
And as in kind, so match them in degree :
But while the gods prolong your royal life,
Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. 2 99
Prolong your reign ; for thereto live you here,
And therefore have the gods so long forborn
To join you to themselves, that still you might
Be prince and father of our common weal :
They, when they see your children ripe to rule,
Will make them room, and will remove you
That yours in right ensuing of your life [hence,
May rightly honour your immortal name.
Eub. Your wonted true regard of faithful
hearts
Makes me, O King, the bolder to presume
To speak what I conceive within my breast;
Although the same do not agree at all
With that which other here my lords have said,
Nor which yourself have seemed best to like.
Pardon I crave, and that my words be deem'd
To flow from hearty zeal unto your grace,
And to the safety of your common weal.
To part your realm unto my lords your sons,
r I think not good for you, ne yet for them,
But worst of all, for this our native land :
Within one land, one single rule is best i
Divided reigns do make divided hearts ;
But peace preserves the country and the prince.
, Such is in man the greedy mind to reign, _
So great is his desire to climb aloft,
In worldly stage the stateliest parts to bear,
That faith and justice and all kindly love
Do yield unto desire of sovereignty,
Where egal state doth raise an egal hope
To win the thing that either would attain.
Your grace remembereth how in passed years,
The mighty Brute, first prince of all this land,
Possess 'd the fame and rul'd it well in one :
He, thinking that the compass did suffice,
For his three sons three kingdoms eke to make,
H 2
100
Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. 2
Cut it in three, as you would now in twain :
But how much British blood hath since been
To join again the sunder'd unity? [spilt
What princes slain before their timely hour?
What waste of towns and people in the land ?
\Vhat treasons heap'd on murders and on
spoils ?
Whose just revenge e'en yet is scarcely ceased,
Ruthful remembrance is yet raw in mind.
The gods forbid the like to chance again :
And you, O King, give not the cause thereof.
lord Ferrex your elder son, perhaps
hom kind and custom gives a rightful hope
To be your heir and to succeed your reign,
Shall think that he doth suffer greater wrong
Than he perchance will bear, if power serve.
; Porrex the younger, so uprais'd in state,
Perhaps in courage will be rais'd alsdJ
If flattery then, which fails not to assail
The tender minds of yet unskilful youth,
In one shall kindle and increase disdain,
And envy in the other's heart inflame : [land,
This fire shall waste their love, their lives, their
And ruthful ruin shall destroy them both.
I wish not this, O King, so to befall,
But fear the thing that I do most abhor.
Give no beginning to so dreadful end ;
Keep them in order and obedience ;
And let them both by now obeying you,
Learn such behaviour as beseems their state;
The elder, mildness in his governance,
The younger, a yielding contentedness ;
And keep them near unto your presence still,
That they, restrained by the awe of you,
May live in compass of well temper 'd stay,
And pass the perils of their youthful years.
Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. 2 101
Your aged life draws on to feebler time,
Wherein you shall less able be to bear
The travails that in youth you have sustain 'd,
Both in your person's and your realm's defence.
If planting now your sons in further parts,
You send them further from your present
reach, [demean :
Less shall you know how they themselves
Traitorous corrupters of their pliant youth
Shall have unspied a much more free access ;
And if ambition and inflam'd disdain
Shall arm the one, the other, or them both,
To civil war, or to usurping pride,
Late shall you rue that you ne reck'd before.
Good is, I grant, of all to hope the best,
But not to live still dreadless of the worst.
So trust the one, that th' other be foreseen.
Arm not unskilfulness with princely power ;
But you that long have wisely rul'd the reins
Of royalty within your noble realm,
So hold them, while the gods for our avails
Shall stretch the thread of your prolonged days.
Too soon he clamb into the flaming car,
Whose want of skill did set the earth on fire.
Time and example of your noble grace
"~~Shall teach your sons both to obey and rule;
When time hath taught them, time shall make
them place,
The place that now is full : and so I pray
Long it remain, to comfort of us all. [part :
Gorb. I take your faithful hearts in thankful
But sith I see no cause to draw my mind,
To fear the nature of my loving sons,
Or to misdeem that envy or disdain [love;
Can there work hate, where nature planteth
In one self purpose do I still abide :
102 Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. 2
: /•"'"
My love extendeth egally to both,
My land sufficeth for them both also.
Humber shall part the marches of their realms :
The southern part the elder shall possess,
The northern shall Porrex the younger rule.
In quiet I will pass mine aged days,
Free from the travail and the painful cares
That hasten age upon the worthiest kings.
But lest the fraud, that ye do seem to fear
Of flattering tongues, corrupt their tender
youth,
And writhe them to the ways of youthful lust,
To climbing pride, or to revenging hate ;
Or to neglecting of their careful charge,
Lewdly to live in wanton recklessness;
Or to oppressing of the rightful cause ;
Or not to wreak the wrongs done to the poor,
,To tread down truth, or favour false deceit ;
/I mean to join to either of my sons
Some one of those whose long approved faith
And wisdom tried may well assure my heart :
That mining fraud shall find no way to creep
Into their fenced ears with grave advice. j
This is the end ; and so I pray you all
To bear my sons the love and loyalty
That I have found within your faithful breasts.
Aros. You, nor your sons, our sovereign
lord, shall want
Our faith and service while our lives do last.
CHORUS.
When settled stay doth hold the royal throne
In stedfast place by known and doubtless right,
And chiefly when descent on one alone
Makes single and imparted reign to light ;
Ferrex and Porrex, Act I., Sc. 2 103
Each change of course unjoints the whole estate,
And yields it thrall to ruin by debate.
f The strength that knit by fast accord in one, -,
Against all foreign power of mighty foes,
Could of itself defend itself alone,
Disjoined once, the former force doth lose. )
The sticks, that sunder 'd brake so soon in
twain,
In faggot bound attempted were in vain.
Oft tender mind that leads the partial eye
Of erring parents in their children's love,
Destroys the wrongly loved child thereby :
This doth the proud son of Apollo prove,
Who, rashly set in chariot of his fire,
Inflam'd the parched earth with heaven's fire.
And this great king, that doth divide his land,
And change the course of his descending crown,
And yields the reign into his children's hand ;
From blissful state of joy and great renown,
/"A mirror shall become to princes all, \
v To learn to shun the cause of such a fall. '
THE ORDER AND SIGNIFICATION OF THE
DUMB SHOW BEFORE THE SECOND ACT
FIRST the music of cornets began to play, during
which came in upon the stage a king accompanied with
a number of his nobility and gentlemen. And after he
had placed himself in a chair of estate prepared for
him, there came and kneeled before him a grave and
aged gentleman and offered up a cup unto him of win£
in a glass, which the king refused. After him comes
a brave and lusty young gentleman and presents the
king with a cup of gold filled with poison, which the',
king accepted, and drinking the same, immediately fell
down dead upon the stage, and so was carried thence
away by his lords and gentlemen, and then the music
ceased. Hereby was signified, that as jjlass by nature
holdeth no poison, but is clear and may easily be seen
through, ne boweth by any art : so a faithful coun
sellor holdeth no treason, but is plain and open, ne
yieldeth to any indiscreet affection, but giveth whole
some counsel, which the ill-advised prince refuseth.
The delightful gold filled with poison betokeneth flat
tery, which under fair seeming of pleasant words bear-
eth deadly poison, which destroyeth the prince that re-
ceiveth it. As befel in the two brethren Ferrex and
Porrex, who, refusing the wholesome advice of grave
counsellors, credited these young parasites, and brought
to themselves death and destruction thereby.
ACT II. SCENE I. ,
FERREX. HERMON. DORDAN. ^cV^v
Ferr. I marvel much what reason led the
My father, thus without all my desert, [king
Ferrex and Porrex, Act II., Sc. i
To reave me half the kingdom, which by course
Of law and nature should remain to me.
Ifer. If you with stubborn and untamed
Had stood against him in rebelling- wise ; [pride
Or if with grudging mind you had envied
So slow a sliding of his aged years;
Or sought before your time to haste the course
Of fatal death upon his royal head ;
Or stain 'd your stock with murder of your kin ;
Some face of reason might perhaps have seem'd
To yield some likely cause to spoil ye thus.
Ferr. /The wreakful gods pour on my cursed
Eternal plagues and never dying woes ; [head
The hellish prince adjudge my damned ghost
To Tantal's thirst, or proud Ixion's wheel,
Or cruel gripe to gnaw my growing heart,
To during torments and unquenched flames ;
If ever I conceiv'd so foul a thought,
To wish his end of life, or yet of reign. )
Dor. Ne yet your father, O most noble
Did ever think so foul a thing of you : [prince,
For he, with more than father's tender love,
While yet the fates do lend him life to rule,
(Who long might live to see your ruling well)
To you, my lord, and to his other son,
Lo, he resigns his realm and royalty ;
Which never would so wise a prince have done,
If he had once misdeem 'd, that in your heart
There ever lodged so unkind a thought.
But tender love, my lord, and settled trust
Of your good nature, and your noble mind,
Made him to place you thus in royal throne,
And now to give you half his realm to guide ^
Yea, and that half which in abounding store
Of things that serve to make a wealthy realm,
In stately cities, and in fruitful soil,
Ferrex and Porrex, Act II., Sc. I 107
In temperate breathing- of the milder heaven,
In things of needful use, which friendly sea
Transports by traffick from the foreign parts,
(In flowing wealth, in honour and in force,
Doth pass the double value of the part
That Porrex hath allotted to his reign.
Such is your case, such is your father's love.
Ferr. Ah love, my friends ? love wrongs not
whom he loves. [y°u
Dor. Ne yet he wrongeth you, that giveth
So large a reign, ere that the course of time
Bring you to kingdom by descended right,
Which time perhaps might end your time
before. [from me
Ferr. (is this no wrong, say you,' to reave '
My native right of half so great a realm?
And thus to match his younger son with me
In egal pow'r, and in as great degree? [pride
Yea, and what son? the son whose swelling
Would never yield one point of reverence,
When I the elder and apparent heir
Stood in the likelihood to possess the whole;
Yea, and that son which from his childish age
Envieth mine honour, and doth hate my life.
What will he now do, when his pride, his rage,
The mindful malice of his grudging heart,
Is arm'd with force, with wealth, and kingly
state ? [wrong
Her. Was this not wrong ? Yea ill-advised
To give so mad a man so sharp a sword,
To so great peril of so great mishap,
Wide open thus to set so large a way. [this,
Dor. Alas, my lord, what griefful thing is
^That of your brother you can think so ill?
( I never saw him utter likely sign
v Whereby a man might see or once misdeem
io8
Ferrex and Porrex, Act II., Sc. i
Such hate of you, ne such unyielding pride :
111 is their counsel, shameful be their end,
That, raising such mistrustful fear in you,
Sowing the seed of such unkindly hate,
Travail by treason to destroy you both,
Wise is your brother and of noble hope,
Worthy to wield a large and mighty realm ;
So much a stronger friend have you thereby,
Whose strength is your strength, if you gree in
one,
Her. If nature and the gods had pinched so
Their flowing bounty, and their noble gifts
Of princely qualities from you, my lord,
And pour'd them all at once in wasteful wise
Upon your father's younger son alone;
Perhaps there be, that in your prejudice [ness :
Would say that birth should yield to worthi-
But sith in each good gift and princely art
Ye are his match, and in the chief of all —
In mildness and in sober governance —
Ye far surmount ; and sith there is in you
Sufficing skill and hopeful towardness [praise,
To wield the whole, and match your elder's
V I see no cause why ye should lose the half,
"Ne would I wish you yield to such a loss :
Lest your mild sufferance of so great a wrong
Be deemed cowardishe and simple dread,
Which shall give courage to the fiery head
Of your young brother to invade the whole.
While yet therefore sticks in the people's mind
The loathed wrong of your disheritance ;
And ere your brother have by settled power,
By guileful cloak of an alluring show,
Got him some force and favour in the realm ;
And while the noble queen your mother lives,
To work and practice all for your avail ;
Ferrex and Porrex, Act II., Sc. i 109
Attempt redress by arms, and wreak yourself
Upon his life that gaineth by your loss,
Who now to shame of you, and grief of us,
In your own kingdom triumphs over you :
Show now your courage meet for kingly state,
That they which have avow'd to spend their
goods, [cause,
Their lands, their lives, and honours in your
May be the bolder to maintain your part
When they do see that coward fear in you
Shall not betray ne fail their faithful hearts.
If once the death of Porrex end the strife,
And pay the price of his usurped reign,
Your mother shall persuade the angry king,
The lords your friends eke shall appease his
rage;
For they be wise, and well they can foresee
That ere long time your aged father's death
Will bring a time when you shall well requite
Their friendly favour, or their hateful spite,
Yea, or their slackness to avaunce your cause.
" Wise men do not so hang on passing state
" Of present princes, chiefly in their age,
" But they will further cast their reaching eye,
" To view and weigh the times and reigns to
S come. ' '
; Ne is it likely, though the king be wroth,
vThat he yet will, or that the realm w^ill bear
Extreme revenge upon his only son \s
Or if he would, what one is he that dare
Be minister to such an enterprise?
And here you be now placed in your own,
Amid your friends, your vassals and your
strength :
We shall defend and keep your person safe
Till either counsel turn his tender mind,
no
Ferrex and Porrex, Act II.. Sc. I
Or age, or sorrow end his weary days.
But if the fear of gods, and secret grudge
Of nature's law, repining at the fact,
Withhold your courage from so great attempt,
JKnow ye, that lust of kingdoms hath no law,
The gods "do" bear and well allow in kings A
The things [that] they abhor in rascal routs.
' When kings on slender quarrels run to wars,
' And then in cruel and unkindly wise
' Command thefts, rapes, murders of innocents,
1 The spoil of towns, ruins of mighty realms ;
Think you such princes do suppose them
selves
" Subject to laws of kind, and fear of gods? "
Murders, and violent thefts in private men
Are heinous crimes and full of foul reproach :
Yet none offence, but deck'd with glorious name
Of noble conquests in the hands of kings.
But if you like not yet so hot device,
Ne list to take such vantage of the time,
But, though with peril of your own estate,
You will not be the first that shall invade ;
/ Assemble yet your force for your defence,
( And for your safety stand upon your guard.
Dor(. O heaven ! was there ever heard or
So wicked counsel to a noble prince?) [known
Let me, my lord, disclose unto your grace
This heinous tale, what mischief it contains ;
Your father's death, your brother's, and your
Your present murder, and eternal shame, [own,
Hear me, O king, and suffer not to sink
So high »a treason in your princely breast.
Ferr. \^The mighty gods forbid, that ever I v
Should once conceive such mischief in my heart. /
Although my brother hath bereft my realm,
And bear perhaps to me an hateful mind,
Ferrex and Porrex, Act II., Sc. i in
Shall I revenge it with his death therefore?
Or shall I so destroy my father's life
That gave me life? the gods forbid, I say;
Cease you to speak so any more to me.
Ne you, my friend, with answer once repeat
So foul a tale : in silence let it die.
What lord or subject shall have hope at all
That under me they safely shall enjoy
Their goods, their honours, lands, and liberties,
With whom neither one only brother dear,
Ne father dearer, could enjoy their lives ?
But sith I fear my younger brother's rage,
And sith perhaps some other man may give
Some like advice, to move his grudging head
At mine estate, which counsel may perchance
Take greater force with him, than this with me ;
(1 will in secret so prepare myself,
As, if his malice or his lust to reign
Break forth in arms or sudden violence,
I may withstand his rage, and keep mine own.
Dor. I fear the fatal time now draweth on
When civil hate shall end the noble line
Of famous Brute, and of his royal seed :
Great Jove, defend the mischiefs now at hand !
O that the secretary's wise advice [king
Had erst been heard, when he besought the
Not to divide his land, nor send his sons
To further parts from presence of his court,
Ne yet to yield to them his governance.
Lo, such are they now in the royal throne
As was rash Phaeton in Phoebus' car;
Ne then the fiery steeds did draw the flame
With wilder randon through the kindled skies,
Than traitorous counsel now will whirl about
^The youthful heads of these unskilful kings.
(But I hereof their father will inform;
112
Ferrex and Porrex, Act II., Sc. 2
The reverence of him perhaps shall stay
The growing mischiefs^ while they yet are
green :
If this help not, then woe unto themselves,
The prince, the people, the divided land I
>
f* '
y
ACT II. SCENE II.
PORREX. TYNDAR. PHILANDER.
Porr. And is it thus ? and doth he so prepare
Against his brother as his mortal foe?
And now while yet his aged father lives ?
Neither regards he him? nor fears he me?
War would he have ? and he shall have it so.
Tyn. I saw myself the great prepared store
Of horse, of armour, and of weapon there ;
Ne bring I to my lord reported tales
Without the ground of seen and searched truth.
Lo, secret quarrels run about his court
To bring the name of you, my lord, in hate.
Each man almost can now debate the cause
And ask a reason of so great a wrong,
Why he so noble and so wise a prince
Is, as unworthy, reft his heritage?
And why the king, misled by crafty means,
Divided thus his land from course of right?
The wiser sort hold down their grieff ul heads ;
Each man withdraws from talk and company
Of those that have been known to favour you :
To hide the mischief of their meaning there,
Rumours are spread of your preparing here.
The rascal numbers of unskilful sort,
Are fill'd with monstrous tales of you and yours.
In secret I was counsell'd by my friends
Ferrex and Porrex, Act II., Sc. 2 113
To haste me thence, and brought you, as you
know,
Letters from those that both can truly tell,
And wovild not write unless they knew it well.
Phil, l My lord, yet ere you move unkindly
war,
Send to your brother to demand the cause :
Perhaps some traitorous tales have fill'd his ears
With false reports against your noble grace ;
Which once disclos'd, shall end the growing
strife,
That else not stay'd with wise foresight in time,
Shall hazard both your kingdoms and your
lives :
Send to your father eke, he shall appease
Your kindled minds, and rid you of this fear.
Porr. Rid me of fear ? I fear him not at all ;
Ne will to him, ne to my father send.
If danger were for one to tarry there,
,Think ye it safety to return again?
(In mischiefs, such as Ferrex now intends,
The wonted courteous laws to messengers
Are not observ'd, which in just war they use.
Shall I so hazard any one of mine?
Shall I betray my trusty friends to him
That have disclos'd his treason unto me?
.Let him entreat that fears, I fear him not :
x Or shall I to the king my father send ?
Yea, and send now while such a mother lives
That loves my brother and that hateth me?
Shall I give leisure, by my fond delays,
To Ferrex to oppress me all unware?
/ I will not ; but I will invade his realm,
1 And seek the traitor-prince within his court.
Mischief for mischief is a due reward.
His wretched head shall pay the worthy price
ED. i
ii4 Ferrex and Porrex, Act II., Sc. 2
Of this his treason and his hate to me.
Shall I abide, and treat, and send, and pray,
And hold my yielden throat to traitor's knife,
While I with valiant mind and conquering force
Might rid myself of foes, and win a realm?
Yet rather, when I have the wretch's head,
Then to the king my father will I send.
The bootless case may yet appease his wrath :
If not, I will defend me as I may.
Phil. Lo, here the end of these two youthful
kings !
The father's death ! the ruin of their realms !
" O most unhappy state of counsellors
"That light on so unhappy lords and times,
™ That neither can their good advice be heard,
' ' Yet must they bear the blames of ill success. ' '
But I will to the king their father haste,
Ere this mischief come to the likely end,
That if the mindful wrath of wreakful gods
Since mighty Ilion's fall, not yet appeased
With these poor remnants of the Trojan name,
Have not determin'd by unmoved fate
Out of this realm to raze the British line ;
By good advice, by awe of father's name,
By force of wiser lords, this kindled hate
May yet be quench 'd, ere it consume us all.
CHORUS.
When youth not bridled with a guiding stay
Is left to randon of their own delight, [sway,
And wields whole realms, by force of sovereign
Great is the danger of unmaster'd might,
Lest skilless rage throw down with headlong fall
Their lands, their states, their lives, themselves
and all.
Ferrex and Porrex, Act II., Sc. 2 115
When growing pride doth fill the swelling
breast,
And greedy lust doth raise the climbing mind,
O, hardly may the peril be repress 'd ;
Ne fear of angry gods, ne laws of kind,
Ne country's care can fired hearts restrain,
When force hath armed envy and disdain.
When kings of foreset will neglect the rede
Of best advice, and yield to pleasing tales,
That do their fancy's noisome humour feed,
Ne reason, nor regard of right avails :
Succeeding heaps of plagues shall teach too late,
To learn the mischiefs of misguided state.
Foul fall the traitor false, that undermines
The love of brethren, to destroy them both !
( Woe to the prince that pliant ear inclines,
And yields his mind to poisonous tale that
floweth
From flattering mouth ! and woe to wretched
land
That wastes itself with civil sword in hand !
Lo thus it is, poison in gold to take,
And wholesome drink in homely cup forsake.
THE ORDER AND SIGNIFICATION OF THE DUMB
SHOW BEFORE THE THIRD ACT
FIRST the music of flutes began to play, during which
came in upon the stage a company of mourners all
clad in black, betokening death and sorrow to ensue
upon the ill-advised misgovernment and dissension of
brethren, as befel upon the murder of Ferrex by his
younger brother. After the mourners had passed thrice
about the stage, they departed, and then the music
ceased.
ACT III. SCENE I.
GORBODUC. EUBULUS. AROSTUS.
PHILANDER. NUNTIUS.
Gorb. O cruel fates, O mindful wrath of
gods, [streams
Whose vengeance neither Simois' stained
Flowing with blood of Trojan princes slain,
Nor Phrygian fields made rank with corpses
dead
Of Asian kings and lords, can yet appease;
Ne slaughter of unhappy Priam's race,
Nor Ilion's fall made level with the soil,
Can yet suffice : but still continued rage
Pursues our lines, and from the farthest seas
Doth chase the issues of destroyed Troy.
" O> no man happy till his end be seen."
If any flowing wealth and seeming joy
n8
rerrex and For rex, Act III.. Sc. I
In present years might make a happy wight,
Happy was Hecuba, the woefullest wretch
That ever liv'd to make a mirror of;
And happy Priam with his noble sons ;
And happy I, till now alas, I see
And feel my most unhappy wretchedness.
Behold, my lords, read ye this letter here ;
Lo, it contains the ruin of our realm
If timely speed provide not hasty help.
Yet, O ye gods, if ever woeful king
Might move you kings of kings, wreak it on me
And on my sons, not on this guiltless realm :
Send down your wasting flames from wrathful
skies,
To reave me and my sons the hateful breath.
Read, read, my lords ; this is the matter why
I call'd ye now to have your good advice.
The Letter from DORDAN the Counsellor of the
Elder Prince.
EUBULUS readeth the letter.
My sovereign lord, what I am loth to write
But lothest am to see, that I am forced
By letters now to make you understand.
My lord Ferrex, your eldest son, misled
By traitorous fraud of young untemper'd wits,
Assembleth force against your younger son ;
Ne can my counsel yet withdraw the heat
And furious pangs of his inflamed head.
Disdain, saith he, of his disheritance,
Arms him to wreak the great pretended wrong
With civil sword upon his brother's life.
If present help do not restrain this rage, [you.
This flame will waste your sons, your land, and
Your Majesty's faithful and most
humble subject,
DORDAN.
Ferrex and Porrex, Act III., Sc. I 119
Aros. O king, appease your grief and stay
your plaint :
Great is the matter and a woeful case ;
But timely knowledge may bring timely help.
(Send for them both unto your presence here :
The reverence of your honour, age, and state,
Your grave advice, the awe of father's name,
Shall quickly knit again this broken peace.
And if in either of my lords your sons
Be such untamed and unyielding pride,
As will not bend unto your noble hests ;
If Ferrex the elder son can bear no peer,
Or Porrex not content, aspires to more
Than you him gave, above his native right;
Join with the juster side, so. shall you force
Them to agree, and hold the land in stay.
Eub. What meaneth this? Lo, yonder
comes in haste
Philander from my lord your younger son.
Gorb. The gods send joyful news *
Phil The mighty Jove
Preserve your majesty, O noble king.
Gorb. Philander, welcome; but how doth
my son?
Phil. Your son, sir, lives ; and healthy I him
left:
But yet, O king, the want of lustful health
Could not be half so griefful to your grace
As these most wretched tidings that I bring.
Gorb. O heavens, yet more? not end of woes
to me?
Phil. Tyndar, O king, came lately from the
Of Ferrex, to my lord your younger son, [court
And made report of great prepared store
For war, and saith that it is wholly meant
Against Porrex, for high disdain that he
I2O
Ferrex and Porrex, Act III., Sc. i
Lives now a king, and egal in degree
With him that claimeth to succeed the whole,
As by due title of descending right.
Porrex is now so set on flaming fire,
Partly with kindled rage of cruel wrath,
Partly with hope to gain a realm thereby,
That he in haste prepareth to invade
His brother's land, and with unkindly war
Threatens the murder of your elder son ;
Ne could I him persuade, that first he should
Send to his brother to demand the cause ;
Nor yet to you, to stay this hateful strife.
Wherefore, sith there no more I can be heard,
I come myself now to inform your grace,
And to beseech you, as you love the life
And safety of your children and your realm,
Now to employ your wisdom and your force,
To stay this mischief ere it be too late.
Gorb. Are they in arms ? would he not send
Is this the honour of a father's name? [to me?
In vain we travail to assuage their minds :
As if their hearts, whom neither brother's love,
Nor father's awe, nor kingdom's cares can
move,
Our councils could withdraw from raging heat.
Jove slay them both, and end the cursed line !
For though, perhaps, fear of such mighty force
As I, my lords, joined with your noble aids,
May yet raise, shall repress their present heat ;
The secret grudge and malice will remain,
The fire not quench 'd, but kept in close restraint,
Fed still within, breaks forth with double flame :
Their death and mine must 'pease the angry
gods.
Phil. Yield not, O king, so much to weak
despair :
Ferrex and Porrex, Act III., Sc. I 121
Your sons yet live ; and long, I trust, they shall.
If fates had taken you from earthly life,
Before beginning of this civil strife,
Perhaps your sons in their unmaster'd youth,
Loose from regard of any living wight,
Would run on headlong, with unbridled race,
To their own death, and ruin of this realm.
But sith the gods, that have the care for kings,
Of things and times dispose the order so,
That in your life this kindled flame breaks forth,
While yet your life, your wisdom, and your
pow'r,
May stay the growing mischief, and repress
The fiery blaze of their inkindled heat;
It seems, and so ye ought to deem thereof,
That loving Jove hath temper 'd so the time
Of this debate to happen in your days,
That you yet living may the same appease,
And add it to the glory of your latter age,
And they your sons may learn to live in peace.
Beware, O king, the greatest harm of all,
Lest by your wailful plaints your hastened death
Yield larger room unto their growing rage :
Preserve your life, the only hope of stay.
And if your highness herein list to use
Wisdom or force, council or knightly aid,
Lo we, our persons, pow'rs, and lives are yours :
Use us till death ; O tdn^, we are your own.
Eub. Lo here the peril that was erst foreseen,
When you, O king, did first divide your land,
And yield your present reign unto your sons.
But now, O noble prince, now is no time
To wail and plain, and waste your woeful life ;
Now is the time for present good advice —
Sorrow doth dark the judgment of the wit.
" The heart unbroken, and the courage free
122
Ferrex and Porrex. Act III.. Sc. I
" From feeble faintness of bootless despair,
* ' Doth either rise to safety or renown
" By noble valour of unvanquish'd mind;
" Or yet doth perish in more happy sort."
Your grace may send to either of your sons
Some one both wise and noble personage,
Which with good counsel, and with weighty
Of father, shall present before their eyes [name
Your hest, your life, your safety and their own,
The present mischief of their deadly strife :
And in the while, assemble you the force
Which your commandment, and the speedy
Of all my lords here present can prepare, [haste
The terror of your mighty pow'r shall stay
The rage of both, or yet of one at least.
Nunt. O king, the greatest grief that ever
prince did hear,
That ever woeful messenger did tell,
That ever wretched land hath seen before,
I bring to you/: Porrex your younger son,
With sudden force invaded hath the land
That you to Ferrex did allot to rule ;
And with his own most bloody hand he hath v
His brother slain, and doth possess his realm.
Gorb.7 O heav'ns ! send down the flames of
your revenge.
Destroy, I say, with flash of wreakful fire,
The traitor son, and then the wretched sire !
But let us go, that yet perhaps I may
Die with revenge, and 'pease the hateful gods.
CHORUS.
The lust of kingdom knows no sacred faith,
No rule of reason, no regard of right,
Ferrex and Porrex, Act III., Sc. I 123
No kindly love, no fear of heaven's wrath :
But with contempt of gods, and man's despite,
Through bloody slaughter doth prepare the
To fatal sceptre, and accursed reign : [ways
The son so loathes the father's ling'ring days,
Ne dreads his hand in brother's blood to stain.
O wretched prince, ne dost thou yet record
The yet fresh murders done within the land
Of thy forefathers, when the cruel sword
Bereft Morgan his life with cousin's hand?
Thus fatal plagues pursue the guilty race,
Whose murderous hand, imbru'd with guiltless
blood,
Asks vengeance still before the heavens' face,
With endless mischiefs on the cursed brood.
The wicked child thus brings to woeful sire
The mournful plaints to waste his very life ;
Thus do the cruel flames of civil fire
Destroy the parted reign with hateful strife f
And hence doth spring the well from which doth
flow
The dead black streams of mourning, plaints,
and woe.
THE ORDER AND SIGNIFICATION OF THE DUMB
SHOW BEFORE THE FOURTH ACT
FIRST the music of hautboys began to play, during
which there came from under the stage, as though out
of hell, three furies, Alecto, Megera, and Ctesiphone,
clad in bra~ck~garnrents sprinkled with blood and flames,
their bodies girt with snakes, their heads spread with
serpents instead of hair, the one bearing in her hand
a snake, the other a whip, and the third a burning
firebrand, each driving before them a king and a queen,
which, moved by furies, unnaturally had slain their
own children. The names of the kings and queens were
these, Tantalus, Medea, Athamas, Ino, Cambyses,
Althea; after that the furies and these had passed
about the stage thrice, they departed, and then the
music ceased. Hereby was signified the unnatural mur
ders to follow; that is to say, Porrex slanftfy his own
mother, and of King Gorbuduc and Queen Viden killed
by their own subjects.
A
V
ACT IV. SCENE I.
VIDEN sola.
iden. Why should I live, and linger forth
In longer life to double my distress ? [my time
O me most woeful wight, whom no mishap,
Long ere this day could have bereaved hence.
Mought not these hands by fortune or by fate
Have pierc'd this breast, and life with iron reft?
Or in this palace here, where I so long
Have spent my days, could not that happy hour
126
Ferrex and Porrex, Act IV., Sc. x
Once, once have hap'd, in which these hugy
frames
With death by fall might have oppressed me ?
Or should not this most hard and cruel soil,
So oft where I have press 'd my wretched steps,
Sometime had ruth of mine accursed life,
To rend in twain [and] swallow me therein?
So had my bones possessed now in peace
Their happy grave within the closed ground,
And greedy worms had gnawn this pined heart
Without my feeling pain : so should not now
This living breast remain the ruthful tomb
Wherein my heart yielden to death is graved :
Nor dreary thoughts with pangs of pining grief,
My doleful mind had not afflicted thus.
O my beloved son ! O my sweet child !
My dear Ferrex, my joy, my life's delight !
Is my beloved son, is my sweet child,
My dear Ferrex, my joy, my life's delight,
Murder'd with cruel death ? O hateful wretch !
O heinous traitor both to heaven and earth !
( Thou, Porrex, thou this damned deed hast
wrought ;
Thou, Porrex, thou shalt dearly bye the same :
Traitor to kin and kind, to sire and me, \
To thine own flesh, and traitor to thyself:
The gods on thee in hell shall wreak thei[r]
wrath,
And here in earth this hand shall take revenge
On thee, Porrex, thou false and caitif wight :
If after blood so eager were thy thirst,
And murd'rous mind had so possessed thee;
If such hard heart of rock and stony flint
Liv'd in thy breast, that nothing else could like
Thy cruel tyrant's thought but death and blood :
Wild savage beasts, might not their slaughter
To feed thy greedy will, and in the midst [serve
Ferrex and Porrex, Act IV., Sc. I 127
Of their entrails to stain thy deadly hands
With blood deserv'd, and drink thereof thy fill?
Or if nought else but death and blood of man
Mought please thy lust, could none in Britain
land
Whose heart be torn out of his panting breast
With thine own hand, or work what death thou
Suffice to make a sacrifice to 'pease [wouldst,
That deadly mind and murderous thought in
thee?
But he who in the selfsame womb was wrapp'd
Where thou in dismal hour receivedst life?
Or if needs, needs, thy hand must slaughter
make, [wound,
Moughtest thou not have reach 'd a mortal
And with thy sword have pierc'd this cursed
womb
That the accursed Porrex brought to light,
And given me a just reward therefore?
So Ferrex, yet sweet life mought have enjoyed,
And to his aged father comfort brought, [live.
With some young son in whom they both might
But whereunto waste I this ruthful speech,
/To thee that hast thy brother's blood thus shed ?
sShall I still think that from this womb thou
sprung?
That I thee bare ? or take thee for my son ?
No, traitor, no : I thee refuse for mine ;
Murderer, I thee renounce, thou art not mine :
Never, O wretch, this womb conceived thee,
Nor never bode I painful throes for thee.
Changeling to me thou art, and not my child,
Nor to no wight that spark of pity knew :
Ruthless, unkind, monster of nature's work,
Thou never suck'd the milk of woman's breast,
But from thy birth the cruel tiger's teats
128
Ferrex and Porrex, Act IV., Sc. 2
Have nursed thee, nor yet of flesh and blood
Form'd is thy heart, but of hard iron wrought;
And wild and desert woods bred thee to life.
But canst thou hope to 'scape my just revenge ?
Or that these hands will not be wroke on thee ?
Dost thou not know that Ferrex' mother lives,
That loved him more dearly than herself?
And doth she live, and is not veng'd on thee?
ACT IV. SCENE II.
GORBODUC. AROSTUS. EUBULUS. PORREX.
MARCELLA.
Gorb. We marvel much whereto this ling 'ring
Falls out so long : Porrex unto our court, [stay
By order of our letters is returned ;
And Eubulus receiv'd from us by hest
At his arrival here, to give him charge
Before our presence straight to make repair,
And yet we have no word whereof he stays.
Aros. Lo where he comes, and Eubulus with
him.
Eub. According to your highness' hest to me,
Here have I Porrex brought, even in such sort
As from his wearied horse he did alight,
For that your grace did will such haste therein.
Gorb. We like and praise this speedy will in
you,
To work the thing that to your charge we gave.
Porrex, if we so far should swerve from kind,
And from those bounds which law of nature sets,
As thou hast done by vile and wretched deed,
In cruel murder of thy brother's life;
Our present hand could stay no longer time,
Ferrex and Porrex, Act IV., Sc. 2 129
But straight should bathe this blade in blood of
As just revenge of thy detested crime. [thee,
No; we should not offend the law of kind
If now this sword of ours did slay thee here :
For thou hast murder 'd him, whose heinous
death
Even nature's force doth move us to revenge
By blood again ; and justice forceth us
To measure death for death, thy due desert :
Yet sithens thou art our child, and sith as yet
In this hard case what word thou canst allege
For thy defence, by us hath not been heard,
We are content to stay our will for that
Which justice bids us presently to work;
And give thee leave to use thy speech at full,
If aught thou have to lay for thine excuse.
Porr. Neither, O king, I can or will deny,
But that this hand from Ferrex life hath reft :
Which fact how much my doleful heart doth
wail,
0 ! would it mought as full appear to sight
As inward grief doth pour it forth to me.
So yet perhaps, if ever ruthful heart
Melting in tears within a manly breast,
Through deep repentance of his bloody fact, ^£-
If ever grief, if ever woeful man
Might move regret with sorrow of his fault,
1 think, the torment of my mournful case
Known to your grace, as I do feel the same,
Would force even wrath herself to pity me.
But as the water troubled with the mud, [see,
Shows not the face which else the eye should
Even so 5^our ireful mind with stirred thought
Cannot so perfectly discern my cause.
But this unhap, amongst so many heaps
I must content me with; most wretched man,
ED. K
130
Ferrex and Porrex, Act IV., Sc. 2
That to myself I must reserve my woe,
In pining thoughts of mine accursed fact :
Since I may not show here my smallest grief,
Such as it is, and as my breast endures,
Which I esteem the greatest misery
Of all mishaps that fortune now can send.
Not that I rest in hope with plaint and tears
To purchase life ; for to the gods I clepe ^ <k J
For true record of this my faithful speech ;
Never this heart shall have the thoughtful dread
To die the death that by your grace's doom,
-By just desert, shall be pronounc'd to me :
Nor never shall this tongue once spend the
Pardon to crave, or seek by suit to live, [speech
I mean not this, as though I were not touch 'd
With care of dreadful death, or that I held
Life in contempt ; but that I know the mind
Stoops to no dread, although the flesh be frail :
And for my guilt, I yield the same so great,
As in myself I find a fear to sue
For grant of life.
Gorb. In vain, O wretch, thou show'st
A woeful heart; Ferrex now lies in grave,
Slain by thy hand.
Porr. Yet this, O father, hear;
And then I end : Your majesty well knows
That when my brother Ferrex and myself
By your own hest were join'd in governance
Of this your grace's realm of Britain land,
I never sought nor travail 'd for the same;
Nor by myself, nor by no friend I wrought,
But from your highness' will alone it sprung,
Of your most gracious goodness bent to me,
But how my brother's heart e'en then repin'd
With swol'n disdain against mine egal rule,
Seeing that realm which by descent should grow
Ferrex and Porrex, Act IV., Sc. 2 131
Wholly to him, allotted half to me?
E'en in your highness' court he now remains,
And with my brother then in nearest place,
Who can record what proof thereof was show'd,
And how my brother's envious heart appear 'd.
Yet I that judged it my part to seek
His favour and good-will, and loth to make
Your highness know the things which should
have brought
Grief to your grace, and your offence to him,
Hoping my earnest suit should soon have won
A loving heart within a brother's breast,
Wrought in that sort, that^or a pledge of love
And faithful heart he gave to me his hand.
This made me think that he had banish 'd quite
All rancour from his thought, and bare to me
Such hearty love, as I did owe to him :
But after once we left your grace's court,
And from your highness' presence liv'd apart,
This egal rule still, still, did grudge him so,
That now those envious sparks which erst lay
In living cinders of dissembling breast, [rak'd
Kindled so far within his heart disdain,
That longer could, he not refrain from proof
Of secret practice to deprive me life
By poison's force; and had bereft me so,
If mine own servant, hired to this fact,
And mov'd by troth with hate to work the
In time had not bewray 'd it unto me. [same,
When thus I saw the knot of love unknit,
All honest league and faithful promise broke.
The law of kind and troth thus rent in twain,
His heart on mischief set, and in his breast
Black treason hid ; then, then, did I despair
That ever time could win him friend to me ; v
Then saw I how he smil'd with slaying knife
K 2
132
Ferrex and Porrex, Act IV., Sc. 2
Wrapp'd under cloafk; then saw I deep deceit
Lurk in his face, and death prepar'd for me :
Even nature mov'd me then to hold my life
More dear to me than his, and bad this hand,
Since by his life my death must needs ensue,
And by his death my life to be preserv'd,
To shed his blood, and seek my safety so;
And wisdom willed me, without protract,
In speedy wise to put the same in ure.
Thus have I told the cause that moved me
To work my brother's death, and so I yield
My life, my death, to judgment of your grace.
Gorb. O cruel wight, should any cause prevail
To make thee stain thy hands with brother's
But what of thee we will resolve to do [blood ?
Shall yet remain unknown :vthou in the mean
Shalt from our royal presence banish 'd be,
Until our princely pleasure further shall
To thee be show'd ; 'depart therefore our sight,
Accursed child ! What cruel destiny.
What froward fate hath sorted us this chance, }
That even in those where we should comfort
Where our delight now in our aged days [find ;
Should rest and be, even there our only grief
And deepest sorrows to abridge our life,
Most pining cares and deadly thoughts do grow.
Aros. Your grace should now, in these grave
years of yours
Have found ere this the price of mortal joys;
How short they be ; how fading here in earth ;
How full of change ; how brittle our estate ;
Of nothing sure, save only of the death,
To whom both man and all the world doth owe
Their end at last; neither should nature's power
In other sort against your heart prevail,
Than as the naked hand whose stroke assays
(
Ferrex and Porrex, Act IV., Sc. 2 133
The armed breast where force doth light in vain.
Gorb. Many can yield right sage and grave
advice
Of patient sprite to others wrapp'd in woe;
And can in speech both rule and conquer kind ;
Who if by proof they might feel nature's force,
Would show themselves men as they are indeed,
Which now will needs be gods. But what doth
mean
The sorry cheer of her that here doth come ?
Mar. O, where is ruth? or where is pity
Whither is gentle heart and mercy fled ? [now ?
Are they exil'd out of our stony breasts,
Never to make return ? Is all the world
Drowned in blood, and sunk in cruelty?
If not in women mercy may be found,
If not, alas, within the mother's breast,
To her own child, to her own flesh and blood ;
If ruth be banish 'd thence ; if pity there
May have no place ; if there no gentle heart
Do live and dwell, where should we seek it then ?
Gorb. Madam, alas, what means your woeful
tale?
Mar. O silly woman I ; why to this hour
Have kind and fortune thus deferred my breath
That I should live to see this doleful day?
Will ever wight believe that such hard heart
Could rest within the cruel mother's breast?"
With her own hand to slay her only son?
But out alas, these eyes beheld the same :
They saw the dreary sight, and are becomen
Most ruthful records of the bloody fact.
Porrex, alas, is by his mother slain,
And with her hand, a woeful thing to tell,
While slumbering on his careful bed he rests,
His heart stab'd in with knife is reft of life.
134
rerrex and Porrex, Act IV., Sc. 2
Gorb. O Eubulus, O, draw this sword of
ours, [light,
And pierce this heart with speed. O hateiul
O loathsome life, O sweet and welcome death !
Dear Eubulus, work this we thee beseech.
Eub. Patient your grace, perhaps he liveth
yet,
With wound receiv'd, but not of certain death.
Gorb. O let us then repair unto the place,
And see if Porrex live, or thus be slain.
Mar. Alas, he liveth not ! it is too true.
That with these eyes, of him a peerless prince,
Son to a king-, and in the flower of youth,
Even with a twink a senseless stock I saw.
Aros. O damned deed.
/ Mar. But hear his ruthful end :
( The noble prince, pierc'd with the sudden wound,
Out of his wretched slumber hastily start,
Whose strength now failing, straight he over
threw,
When in the fall his eyes even now unclos'd
Beheld the queen, and cry'd to her for help.
We then, alas, the ladies which that time
Did there attend, seeing that heinous deed,
And hearing him oft call the wretched name
Of mother, and to cry to her for aid,
Whose direful hand gave him the mortal wound,
Pitying (alas, for nought else could we do)
His ruthful end, ran to the woeful bed,
Despoiled straight his breast, and, all we might,
Wiped in vain with napkins next at hand
The sudden streams of blood that flushed fast
Out of the gaping wound. O, what a look !
O, what a ruthful, stedfast eye, methought
He fix'd upon my face, which to my death
Will never part fro me ! when with a braid,
Ferrex and Porrex, Act IV., Sc. 2 135
A deep set sigh he gave, and therewithal
Clasping his hands, to heav'n he cast his sight ;
And straight pale death pressing within his face,
The flying ghost his mortal corps forsook.
Aros. Never did age bring forth so vile a
fact!
Mar. O hard and cruel hap, that thus assigned
Unto so worthy a wight so wretched end :
But most hard cruel heart, that could consent
To lend the hateful destinies that hand,
By which, alas, so heinous crime was wrought !
O queen of adamant ! O marble breast !
If not the favour of his comely face,
If not his princely cheer and countenance,
His valiant active arms, his manly breast,
If not his fair and seemly personage,
His noble limbs, in such proportion cast
As would have rap'd a silly woman's thought;
If this mought not have mov'd thy bloody heart,
And that most cruel hand, the wretched weapon
E'en to let fall, and kiss him in the face,
With tears for ruth to reave such one by death :
Should nature yet consent to slay her son?
O mother, thou to murder thus thy child ?
E'en Jove with justice must with lightning
flames [on thee.
From heaven send down some strange revenge
Ah, noble prince, how oft have I beheld
Thee mounted on thy fierce and trampling steed,
Shining in armour bright before the tilt,
And with thy mistress' sleeve tied on thy helm,
And charge thy staff to please thy lady's eye,
That bow'd the head-piece of thy friendly foe?
How oft in arms on horse to bend the mace?
How oft in arms on foot to break the sword ?
Which never now these eyes may see again.
136
Ferrex and Porrex, Act IV., Sc. 2
Aros. Madam, alas, in vain these plaints are
Rather with me depart, and help to suage [shed,
The thoughtful griefs that in the aged king
Must needs by nature grow by death of this
His only son, whom he did hold so dear.
Mar. What wight is that which saw that I
did see,
And could refrain to wail with plaint and tears ?
Not I, alas ! that heart is not in me :
But let us go, for I am griev'd anew,
To call to mind the wretched father's woe.
CHORUS.
When greedy lust in royal seat to reign
Hath reft all care of gods and eke of men,
And cruel heart, wrath, treason and disdain,
Within ambitious breast are lodged, then
Behold how mischief wide herself displays,
And with the brother's hand the brother slays.
When blood thus shed doth stain the heaven's
Crying to Jove for vengeance of the deed, [face
'the mighty God e'en moveth from his place
With wrath to wreak ; then sends he forth with
speed
The dreadful furies, daughters of the night,
With serpents girt, carrying the whip of ire,
With hair of stinging snakes, and shining bright
With flames and blood, and with a brand of fire :
These for revenge of wretched murder done,
EXo make the mother kill her only son.
Blood asketh blood, and death must death re-
Jove by his just and everlasting doom [quite :
Justly hath ever so requited it ;
Ferrex and Porrex, Act IV., Sc. 2 137
The times before record, and times to come
Shall find it true, and so doth present proof
Present before our eyes for our behoof.
O happy wight, that suffers not the snare
Of murderous mind to tangle him in blood ;
And happy he, that can in time beware
By others' harms, and turn it to his good :
But woe to him, that fearing not t' offend,
Doth serve his lusti and will not see the end.
THE ORDER AND SIGNIFICATION OF THE DUMB
SHOW BEFORE THE FlFTH ACT
FIRST the drums and flutes began to sound, during
• .which there came forth upon the stage a company oi
harquebusiers and of armed men, all in order of battle.
These, after their pieces discharged, and that the armed
men had three times marched about the stage, departed,
and then the drums and flutes did cease. Hereby was
signified tumults, rebellions, arms and civil wars to
follow, as fell in the realm of Great Britain, which by
the space of fifty years and more, continued in civil
war between the nobility after the death of King
Gorboduc and of his issues, for want of certain limita
tion in succession of the crown, till the time of Dunwallo
Molmutius, who reduced the land to monarchy.
ACT V. SCENE I.
CLOTYN. MANDUD. GWENARD. FERGUS.
EUBULUS.
Clo. Did ever age bring forth such tyrants'
hearts?
The brother hath bereft the brother's life;
pM The mother she hath dyed her cruel hands
In blood of her own son, and now at last
The people, lo, forgetting troth and love,
Contemning quite both law and loyal heart,
E'en they havq slain their sovereign lord, and
queen.
140
Ferrex and Porrex, Act V., Sc. i
Man. Shall this their traitorous crime un-
punish'd rest?
E'en yet they cease not, carried on with rage,
In their rebellious routs, to threaten still
A new bloodshed unto the prince's kin,
To slay them all, and to uproot the race
Both of the king- and queen, so are they mov'd
With Porrex' death, wherein they falsely charge
The guiltless king without desert at all,
And trait 'rously have murdered him therefore,
And eke the queen.
Given. Shall subjects dare with force ,
To work revenge upon their prince's fact?
Admit the worst that may, as sure in this fc
The deed was foul, the queen to slay her son,
Shall yet the subject seek to take the sword,
Arise against his lord, and slay his king?
0 wretched state, where those rebellious hearts
Are not rent out e'en from their living breasts,
And with the body thrown unto the fowls
As carrion food, for terror of the rest.
Ferg. There can no punishment be thought
too great
For this so grievous crime : let speed therefore
Be us'd therein, for it behoveth so.
Eub. Ye all, my lords, I see, consent in one,
And I as one consent with ye in all.
1 hold it more than need, with sharpest law
To punish this tumultuous bloody rage :
For nothing more may shake the common state
Than sufferance of uproars without redress ;
Whereby how some kingdoms of mighty power,
After great conquests made, and flourishing
In fame and wealth, have been to ruin brought,
I pray to Jove that we may rather wail
Such hap in them, than witness in ourselves.
Ferrex and Porrex, Act V., Sc. x 141
Eke fully with the duke my mind agrees,
Though kings forget to govern as they ought,
Yet subjects must obey as they are bound.
But now, my lords, before ye farther wade,
Or spend your speech, what sharp revenge shall
fall
By justice' plague on these rebellious wights ;
Methinks, ye rather should first search the way
By which in time, the rage of this uproar
Mought be repress 'd, and these great tumults
ceased.
Even yet the life of Britain land doth hang
In traitors balance of unegal weight;
Think not, my lords, the death of Gorboduc,
Nor yet Videna's blood will cease their rage :
E'en our own lives, our wives and children
dear,
Our country, dear'st of all, in danger stands
Now to be spoil'd; now, now made desolate,
And by ourselves a conquest to ensue.
For, give once sway unto the people's lusts,
To rush forth on, and stay them not in time,
And as the stream that rolleth down the hill,
So will they headlong run with raging thoughts
From blood to blood, from mischief unto moe,
To ruin of the realm, themselves and all :
So giddy are the common people's minds,
So glad of change, more wavering than the sea.
Ye see, my lords, what strength these rebels
What hugy number is assembled still : [have ;
For though the traitorous fact for which they
rose [field ;
Be wrought and done, yet lodge they still in
So that how far their furies yet will stretch
Great cause we have to dread. That we may
seek
. ; •
142
Ferrex and Porrex, Act V., Sc. I
.
"
By present battle to repress their power,
Speed must we use to levy force therefore;
For either they forthwith will mischief work,
Or their rebellious roars forthwith will cease :
'These violent things may have no lasting- long.
Let us therefore use this for present help;
Persuade by gentle speech, and offer grace,
With gift of pardon, save unto the chief,
And that upon condition that forthwith
They yield the captains of their enterprise
To bear such guerdon of their traitorous fact,*
As may be both due vengeance to themselves,
And wholesome terror to posterity.
This shall, I think, scatter the greatest part
That now are holden with desire of home,
Weaned in field with cold of winter's nights,
And some, no doubt, stricken with dread of law.
When this is once proclaimed, it shall make
The captains to mistrust the multitude,
Whose safety bids them to betray their heads ;
And so much more, because the rascal routs,
In things of great and perilous attempts,
Are never trusty to the noble race.
And while we treat and stand on terms of grace,
We shall both stay their fury's rage the while,
And eke gain time, whose only help sufficeth
Withouten war to vanquish rebels' power.
In the mean while, make you in readiness
Such band of horsemen as ye may prepare :
Horsemen, you know, are not the commons
strength,
But are the force .and store of noble men,
Whereby the unchosen and unarmed sort
Of skilless rebels, whom none other power
But number makes to be of dreadful force,
With sudden brunt may quickly be oppress 'd.
Ferrex and Porrex, Act V., Sc. i 143
And if this gentle mean of proffer 'd grace,
With stubborn hearts cannot so far avail
As to assuage their desp'rate courages,
Then do I wish such slaughter to be made,
As present age and eke posterity
May be adrad with horror of revenge,
That justly then shall on these rebels fall :
This is, my lords, the sum of mine advice.
Clo. Neither this case admits debate at
large ; [said
And though it did, this speech that hath been
Hath well abridged the tale I would have told.
Fully with Eubulus do I consent
In all that he hath said : and if the same
To you, my lords, may seem for best advice,
I wish that it should straight be put in ure.
Man. ft£y lords, then let us presently depart,
And follow this that liketh us so well.
rFerg. ( If ever time to gain a kingdom here
Were offer 'd man, now it is offer 'd me. '
The realm is reft both of their king and queen ;
The offspring of the prince is slain and dead :
No issue now remains ; the heir unknown ;
A • -» The people are in arms and mutinies;
The nobles they are busied how to cease
These great rebellious tumults and uproars ;
And Britain land now desert left alone,
Amid these broils uncertain where to rest,
Offers herself unto that noble heart
That will or dare pursue to bear her crown.
Shall I, that am the duke of Albany,
Descended from that line of noble blood,
Which hath so long flourished in worthy fame
Of valiant hearts, such as in noble breasts
Of right should rest above the baser sort,
Refuse to venture life to win a crown?
144
Ferrex and Porrex, Act V., Sc. 2
Whom shall I find enemies that will withstand
My fact herein, if I attempt by arms
To seek the same now in these times of broil?
These dukes' power can hardly well appease
The people that already are in arms :
But if perhaps my force be once in field,
Is not my strength in pow'r above the best
Of all these lords now left in Britain land ?
And though they should match me with power
of men,
Yet doubtful is the chance of battles join'd :
If victors of the field we may depart,
Ours is the sceptre then of Great Britain ;
If slain amid the plain this body lie,
Mine enemies yet shall not deny me this,
But that I died giving the noble charge,
To hazard life for conquest of a crown.
Forthwith therefore will I in post depart
To Albany, and raise in armour there
All pow 'r I can : and here my secret friends
By secret practice shall solicit still,
To seek to win to me the people's hearts.
ACT V. SCENE II.
EUBULUS. CLOTYN. MANDUD. GWENARD.
AROSTUS. NUNTIUS.
Eub. O Jove, how are these people's hearts
abus'd?
What blind fury thus headlong carries them ?
That though so many books, so many rolls
Of ancient time, record what grievous plagues
Light on these rebels aye, and though so oft
Their ears have heard their aged fathers tell
Ferrex and Porrcx, Act V., Sc. 2 145
What just reward these traitors still receive,
Yea, though themselves have seen deep death
and blood,
By strangling cord and slaughter of the sword,
To such assign'd, yet can they not beware;
Yet can not stay their lewd rebellious hands :
But suffering, lo, foul treason to distain
Their wretched minds, forget their loyal heart,
Reject all truth, and rise against their prince.
A ruthful case, that those whom duty's bond,
Whom grafted law by nature, truth, and faith,
Bound to preserve their country and their king,
Born to defend their commonwealth and prince ;
E'en they should give consent thus to subvert
Thee, Britain land, and from thy womb should
spring,
O native soil, those that will needs destroy
And ruin thee, and eke themselves in fine.
For lo, when once the dukes had offer'd grace
Of pardon sweet, the multitude, misled
By traitorous fraud of their ungracious heads,
One sort that saw the dangerous success
Of stubborn standing in rebellious war,
And knew the difference of prince's power
From headless number of tumultuous routs,
Whom common country's care, and private
fear,
; Taught to repent the error of their rage,
Laid hands upon the captains of their band,
And brought them bound unto the mighty
dukes :
And other sort, not trusting yet so well
The truth of pardon, or mistrusting more
Their own offence, than that they could con
ceive
Such hope of pardon for so foul misdeed ;
ED. L
146
Ferrex and Porrex, Act V., Sc. 2
Or for that they their captains could not yield,
Who, fearing to be yielded, fled before,
Stale home by silence of the secret night :
The third unhappy and enraged sort
Of desp'rate hearts, who, stain 'd in princes'
blood,
From traitorous furor could not be withdrawn
By love, by law, by grace, ne yet by fear,
By proffer 'd life, ne yet by threaten 'd death ;
With minds hopeless of life, dreadless of death,
Careless of country, and aweless of God,
Stood bent to fight as furies did them move,
With violent death to close their traitorous life.
These all by power of horsemen were oppress 'd,
And with revenging sword slain in the field,
Or with the strangling cord hang'd on the tree;
Where yet their carrion carcases do preach,
The fruits that rebels reap of their uproars,
And of the murder of their sacred prince.
But lo, where do approach the noble dukes,
By whom those tumults have been thus
/ appeas'd.
Clo. I think the world will now at length
beware,
And fear to put on arms against their prince.
Man. If not? those traitorous hearts that
dare rebel,
Let them behold the wide and hugy fields
With blood and bodies spread of rebels slain,
The lofty trees clothed with the corpses dead,
That, strangled with the cord, do hang thereon.
Aros. A just reward, such as all times
before
Have ever lotted to those wretched folks.
Given. But what means he that cometh
here so fast?
Ferrex and Porrex, Act V., Sc. 2 147
Nunt. My lords, as duty and my troth doth
move,
And of my country work a care in me,
That if the spending of my breath avail'd
To do the service that my heart desires,
I would not shun t' embrace a present death ;
So have I now in that wherein I thought
My travail mought perform some good effect,
Ventur'd my life to bring these tidings here.
/ Fergus, the mighty duke of Albany,
Is now in arms, and lodgeth in the field
With twenty thousand men ; hither he bends
His speedy march, and minds to invade the
crown : \
Daily he gathereth strength, and spreads
abroad,
That to this realm no certain heir remains,
That Britain land is left without a guide,
That he the sceptre seeks for nothing else
But to preserve the people and the land,
Which now remain as ship without a stern.
Lo, this is that which I have here to say.
Clo. Is this his faith? and shall he falsely
thus
Abuse the vantage of unhappy times ?
O wretched land, if his outrageous pride,
His cruel and untemper'd wilfulness,
His deep dissembling shows of false pretence,
-Should once attain the crown of Britain land !
Let us, my lords, with timely force resist
The new attempt of this our common foe, \
As we would quench the flames of common fire.
Man. Though we remain withfout] a certain
prince
To wield the realm, or guide the wand 'ring rule,
Yet now the common mother of us all,
L 2
148 Ferrex and Porrex, Act V., Sc. 2
-,
Our native land, our country, that contains
Our wives, children, kindred, ourselves, and all
That ever is or may be dear to man,
Cries unto us to help ourselves and her.
Let us advance our powers to repress
This growing foe of all our liberties.
Gwen. Yea, let us so, my lords, with hasty
speed —
And ye, O gods, send us the welcome death
To shed our blood in field, and leave us not
In loathsome life to linger out our days,
To see the hugy heaps of these unhaps
That now roll down upon the wretched land,
Where empty place of princely governance,
No certain stay now left of doubtless heir,
Thus leave this guideless realm an open prey
To endless storms and waste of civil war.
Aros. That ye, my lords, do so agree in one,
To save your country from the violent reign
And wrongfully usurped tyranny
Of him that threatens conquest of you all,
To save your realm, and in this realm your
selves
From foreign thraldom of so proud a prince,
Much do I praise ; and I beseech the gods,
With happy honour to requite it you.
But O, my lords, sith now the heavens' wrath
Hath reft this land the issue of their prince,
Sith of the body of our late sovereign lord
Remains no moe, since the young kings be slain,
And of the title of descended crown
Uncertainly the divers minds do think
Even of the learned sort, and more uncertainly
Will partial fancy and affection deem ;
But most uncertainly will climbing pride,
And hope of reign, withdraw to sundry parts
Ferrex and Porrex, Act V., Sc. 2 149
The doubtful right and hopeful lust to reign.
When once this noble service is achieved
For Britain land, the mother of ye all,
When once ye have with armed force repress 'd
The proud attempts of this Albanian prince,
That threatens thraldom to your native land,
When ye shall vanquishers return from field,
And find the princely state an open prey
To greedy lust, and to usurping power;
Then, then, my lords, if ever kindly care
Of ancient honour of your ancestors,
Of present wealth and noblesse of your stocks,
Yea, of the lives and safety yet to come
Of your dear wives, your children, and your
selves,
Might move your noble hearts with gentle
ruth,
Then, then, have pity on the torn estate;
Then help to salve the wellnear hopeless sore;
Which ye shall do, if ye yourselves withhold
The slaying knife from your own mother's
throat :
Her shall you save, and you, and yours in her,
If ye shall all with one assent forbear
Once to lay hand, or take unto yourselves
The crown, by colour of pretended right,
Or by what other means soe'er it be,
Till first by common counsel of you all
In parliament, the regal diadem
Be set in certain place of governance;
In which your parliament, and in your choice,
Prefer the right, my lords, with[out] respect
Of strength or friends, or whatsoever cause
That may set forward any other's part;
For right will last, and wrong can not endure :
Right, mean I his or hers, upon whose name
150
Ferrex and Porrex, Act V., Sc. 2
The people rest by mean of native line,
Or by the virtue of some former law
Already made their title to advance.
Such one, my lords, let be your chosen king ;
Such one so born within your native land ;
Such one prefer ; and in no wise admit
The heavy yoke of foreign governance :
Let foreign titles yield to public wealth.
And with that heart wherewith ye now prepare
Thus to withstand the proud invading foe,
With that same heart, my lords, keep out also
Unnatural thraldom of strangers' reign,
Ne suffer you, against the rules of kind,
Your mother land to serve a foreign prince.
Eub. Lo, here the end of Brutus' royal line,
And, lo, the entry to the woeful wreck
And utter ruin of this noble realm.
The royal king, and eke his sons are slain ;
No ruler rests within the regal seat ;
The heir, to whom the sceptre longs, unknown ;
That to each force of foreign prince's power,
Whom vantage of our wretched state may
move
By sudden arms to gain so rich a realm ;
And to the proud and greedy mind at home,
Whom blinded lust to reign leads to aspire.
Lo, Britain realm is left an open prey,
A present spoil by conquest to ensue.
Who seeth not now how many rising minds
Do feed their thoughts with hope to reach a
realm ?
And who will not by force attempt to win
So great a gain that hope persuades to have?
A simple colour shall for title serve.
Who wins the royal crown will want no right ;
Nor such as shall display by long descent
Ferrex and Porrex, Act V., Sc. 2 151
A lineal race to prove him lawful king.
In the meanwhile these civil arms shall rage,
And thus a thousand mischiefs shall unfold,
And far and near spread thee, O Britain land ;
All right and law shall cease ; and he that had
Nothing to-day, to-morrow shall enjoy
Great heaps of gold; and he that flow'd in
wealth,
Lo, he shall be bereft of life and all ;
And happiest he that then possesseth least :
The wives shall suffer rape, the maids deflour'd,
And children fatherless shall weep and wail;
With fire and sword thy native folk shall
perish :
One kinsman shall bereave another's life ;
The father shall unwitting slay the son ;
The son shall slay the sire, and know it not.
Women and maids the cruel soldiers' swords
Shall pierce to death, and silly children, lo,
That play in the streets and fields are found,
By violent hand shall close their latter day.
Whom shall the fierce and bloody soldier
Reserve to life? whom shall he spare from
death?
E'en thou, O wretched mother, half alive,
Thou shalt behold thy dear and only child
Slain with the sword, while he yet sucks thy
breast. [shed.
Lo, guiltless blood shall thus eachwhere be
Thus shall the wasted soil yield forth no fruit,
But dearth and famine shall possess thejand.
The towns shall be consum'd and burnt with
The peopled cities shall wax desolate; [fire;
And thou, O Britain, whilom in renown,
Whilom in wealth and fame, shalt thus be torn,
Dismember'd thus, and thus be rent in twain;
2 Ferrex and Porrex, Act V., Sc. 2
Thus wasted and defaced, spoiled and de
stroyed :
These be the fruits your civil wars will bring.
Hereto it comes, when kings will not consent
To grave advice, but follow wilful will.
This is the end, when in fond princes' hearts
Flattery prevails, and sage rede hath no place.
These are the plagues, when murder is the
mean
To make new heirs unto the royal crown.
Thus wreak the gods, when that the mother's
wrath
Nought but the blood of her own child may
'suage.
These mischiefs spring when rebels will arise
To work revenge, and judge their prince's fact.
This, this ensues when noble men do fail
In loyal troth, and subjects will be kings :
And this doth grow, when, lo, unto the prince
Whom death or sudden hap of life bereaves,
No certain heir remains, such certain heir,
As not all only is the rightful heir
But to the realm is so made known to be,
And troth thereby vested in subjects' hearts,
To owe faith there, where right is known to rest.
Alas, in parliament what hope can be,
When is of parliament no hope at all ?
Which, though it be assembled by consent,
Yet is not likely with consent to end ;
While each one for himself, or for his friend
Against his foe, shall travail what he may.
While now the state left open to the man
That shall with greatest force invade the same
Shall fill ambitious minds with gaping hope,
When will they once with yielding hearts agree ?
Or in the while, how shall the realm be used ?
Ferrex and Porrex, Act V., Sc. 2 153
No, no; then parliament should have been
holden,
And certain heirs appointed to the crown
To stay the title of established right,
And in the people plant obedience,
While yet the prince did live, whose name and
By lawful summons and authority [power
Might make a parliament to be of force,
And might have set the state in quiet stay :
But now, O happy man, whom speedy death
Deprives of life, ne is enforc'd to see
These hugy mischiefs and these miseries,
These civil ;wars, these murders, and these
wrongs/
Of justice, yet must God in fine restore
This noble crown unto the lawful heir :
For right will always live, and rise at length^
But wrong can never take deep root to lastN
THE END OF THE TRAGEDY OF FERREX AND
PORREX.
[Colophon.]
Imprinted at London by John Daye, dwelling ouer
Aldersgate.
A NOTE-BOOK AND
W O R D-L I S T
INCLUDING
CONTEMPORARY REFERENCES, BIBLIOGRAPHY,
VARIORUM READINGS, NOTES, &c., together
with a GLOSSARY OF WORDS AND PHRASES
now Archaic or Obsolete ; the whole
arranged in ONE ALPHABET IN DICTIONARY
FORM
A FOREWORD TO NOTE
BOOK AND WORD-LIST
Reference from text to Note-Book is copious, and as
complete as may be; so also, conversely, from Note-Book
to text. The following pages may, with almost absolute
certainty, be consulted on any point that may occur in
the course of reading; but more especially as regards
Biographical and other Notes,
Contemporary References to Author and Plays,
Bibliography,
Variorum Readings,
Words and Phrases, now Obsolete or Archaic.
The scheme of reference from Note-Book to text as
sumes the division, in the mind's eye, of each page into
four horizontal sections; which, beginning at the top,
are indicated in the Note-Book by the letters a, b, c, d
following the page figure. In practice this will be found
easy, and an enormous help to the eye over the usual
reference to page alone in "fixing" the "catchword."
Thus i26a = the first quarter of page 126; ^oc = the third
quarter of page 40 ; and so forth.
Abbreviations.
D. Damon and Pithias.
G. Gorboduc (otherwise Ferrex and Porrex).
NOTE-BOOK AND WORD-LIST
TO THE DRAMATIC WRITINGS OF
RICHARD EDWARDS
THOMAS NORTON
AND THOMAS SACKVILLE, viz.:
Damon and Pit bias — Gorboduc (or Ferrex and P or rex}
ABYE, see Bye.
ACE, "bate me an ace," &c. (D. 6oa), not in Hey-
wood's Proverbs (E.E.D.S.) ; but, in The Four
P.P., he has " I pass you an ace." It appears in
Ray's collection. He remarks, " Who this Bolton
was I know not, neither is it worth enquiring. One
of this name might happen to say, Bate me an ace,
and, for the coincidence of the first letters of the
two words Bate and Bolton, it grew to be a proverb.
We have many of the like original ; as v.g. Sup,
Simon, &c., Stay, quoth Stringer, &c. There goes a
story of Queen Elizabeth, that being presented with
a Collection of English Proverbs, and told by the
author that it contained all the English Proverbs, nay,
replied she, Bate me an ace, quoth Bolton : which
Proverb being instantly looked for, happened to be
wanting in his Collection." Which story may, or
may not, be authentic : it would be a matter of
interest to know who was the " author " referred to,
for we have no trace. Still, the proverb was current
long before Ray's time, as there are numerous illus
trations of its use — that in Damon and Pithias is, I
fancy, the earliest known. In The Mastive, by
H. P. (? Henry Parrot), published in 1615, occurs,
158
Note-Book and Word-List
[ADRAD
" A pamphlet was of proverbs, penn'd by Polton
Wherein he thought all sorts included were ; Until one
told him, Bate m' an ace, quoth Bolton : Indeed (said
he) that proverb is not there."
ADRAD, " posterity may be adrad " (G. 1430), afraid,
frightened. "The lady wase nevyr so adrad." —
Torrent of Portugal, 13. "And was adrad of Gyle."
—Chaucer, Cant. Tales (1383), 558.
ALBANIAN, " this Albanian prince " (G. i^ga), from
Albion = Britain : said to have been so called by Julius
Caesar on account of its chalky cliffs.
ALLOW, " whether ye allow my whole device " (G. 940)
— " allow it well " (94^), approve, declare to be true :
American by survival. " And have hope toward God
which they themselves also allow, that there shaL'
be a resurrection of the dead." — Bible, Auth. Vers.
(1611), Acts xxiv. 15.
ALOYSE, " aloyse, aloyse, how, how pretty it is "
(D. 6id), the text is probably corrupt : the first how
may = Ho !
AUTHORS, " the time, the place, the authors " (D. 50),
in second edition author.
BATE, see Ace.
BEARD, " I have played with his beard " (D. ioa), i.e.
deceived him, deluded him : there are several variants
of the phrase.
BECOMEN, " becomen most ruthful records " (G. 133^),
become.
BEES, " hath bees in his head " (D. i3a), is choleric,
angry : the modern " bees in one's bonnet " signifies
a degree of craziness and oddity rather than temper.
See Udall, Roister Doister (E.E.D.S.), 3oc.
BEHIGHTETH, " such as their kind behighteth to us
all" (G. 940"), promiseth. "And for his paines a
whistle him behight." — Spenser, Fairy Queen (1596),
IV. xi. 6.
BEHOOVEFUL, " What further means behooveful are and
meet " (G. g6b), desirable, needful, profitable. " And
that they the same Gilde or fraternyte myght augu-
mente and enlarge, as ofte and when it shuld seme to
BUM] Note-Book and Word-List 159
theym necessarie and behoufull, . . ." — English Gilds
(1389-1450), E.E.T.S., p. 310. " Jul. No, madam:
we have cull'd such necessaries As are behoveful for
our state to-morrow." — Shakspeare, Rom. and Jul.
(iS9S), iv- 3 (Globe).
BENTERS, " these benters " (D. 59^), Hazlitt glosses this
word, " sacks to carry coals," and refers to the Fr.
benne with a similar meaning : which may, or may
not, be. A little lower down (6od) debenters is used
with, apparently, the same meaning. Possibly the
word is from bent — a coarse reed or grass used in
making the sacks for Grim's coals: some varieties
were suitable for such a purpose.
BLADE, "I will blade it out" (D. 28^), Hazlitt says =
blab ; but surely blade is here used in the same sense
as a modern ruffian would say, " I'll knife it out":
cf. blade = to trim hedges.
BOB, " to bear the bob " (D. 636), made a fool of,
outwitted: cf. "give the dor." " C. I guess the
business. S. It can be no other But to give me the
bob, that being a matter of main importance." —
Massinger, Maid of Honour (1632), iv. 5.
BODE, " never bode I painful throes for thee " (G. 127^),
from bide = endure, suffer. " Poor naked wretches,
wheresoe'er you are, That bide the pelting of this
pitiless storm ! " — Shakspeare, Lear (1605), iii. 4.
BOLTON, see Ace.
BRAID, " with a braid " (G. 134^), start, rush, sudden
movement ; such as a toss of the head, a sudden blow,
a quick retort. " Scho brayd hit a-don at on brayd,"
i.e. she threw it down at one start or movement. —
Seven Sages (Wright), 17.
BRIARS, " left his friend in the briars " (D. 66c), in
difficulty, misfortune, or doubt. "... leaue vs your
friendes in the briers and betray vs, . . ." — Stow,
Edward VI. (1552).
BROOM, see New broom.
BRUTE, " the mighty Brute, first prince of all this
land " (G. ggd) : see Geoffrey of Monmouth, i.
BUM, " bum troth " (D. 566), by my troth.
160 Note-Book and Word-List [BUSSING
BUSSING, " set out your bussing base " (D. 636), i.e.
an indistinct kind of humming in a base voice.
BYE, " thou shalt dearly bye the same " (G. i26c), i.e.
abide by the results : see previous volumes of this
series, s.v. Aby, Abie, &c.
CAREFUL, " on his careful bed he rests " (G. 133^), bed
of care: cf. careful for = anxious for; also hateful —
full of hate.
CAT IN PAN, see Oxford English Dictionary.
CENTUM PRO CENTO (D. 590), in allusion to usury : see
previous lines.
CHA, CHOULD, CHWAS, &c. (passim), the conventional
dialect of rustics in our early drama : see previous
volumes of this series. Edwards was a Somerset
shire man, and this " dialect " nearly approaches that
of his district.
CLEPE, " for to the gods I clepe " (G. 1300), call.
" They clepe us drunkards, and with swinish phrase
Tax our addition." — Shakspeare, Hamlet (1596), i. 4.
COBEX EPI (D. 53&), see Variorum Readings, s.v.
Damon and Pithias, infra : Hazlitt has the note,
" Colliers used to be nicknamed ' Carry coals,1 " and
alters the text to " 'tis Coals I spy." See Nares,
s.v. Coals.
COCK, " farewell, Cock " (D. 650), a familiar address.
COLPHEG, "I'll colpheg you" (D. 456), the sense is
clear enough — cudgel, beat, drub; and, for the rest,
see Murray in O.E.D.
COMICAL, " in comical wise " (D. 36), i.e. suited to
comedy. " Such toys to see as heretofore in comical
wise were wont abroad to be." — Misogonus, E.E.D.S.,
Anon. Plays, Series 2, 1356.
CONTRIVED, " we three have contrived " (D. 14^),
passed, spent : Lat. contrivi from contero. " Coyllus
contrived (contrivit) all his youthe in the service of
their wars." — Trans, of Polydore Vergil (Camden
Soc.), i. 81. " Please ye we may contrive this after-
DAMON AND PiTHiAs] Note-Book and Word-List 161
noon, And quaff carouses to our mistress' health." —
Shakspeare, Tarn, of Shrew (1593), i. 2.
COWARDISHE, " deemed cowardishe " (G. io8c),
cowardice, extreme timidity.
CRAB, " a crab in the fire " (D. 590), see other volumes
of this series.
CRETIZO, &c. (D. 47c), in reference to the double-dealing
of the Cretans.
CROYDEN, " a right Croyden sanguine " (D. 62 a) :
Hazlitt says, " From the manner in which this ex
pression is used by Sir John Harington, in ' The
Anatomic of the Metamorphosis of Ajax,' 1596,
sig. L, 7, it seems as though it was intended for a
sallow hue. — ' Both of a complexion inclining to the
oriental colour of a Croyden sanguine.' '
DAMON AND PITHIAS. The text of this play, which will
be found on pp. 1-84, has been taken from the edition
of 1571, which, in turn, has been collated with that
of 1582. Copies of both editions are in the British
Museum. It has been reprinted in modern times,
(a) in Dodsley's Select Collection of Old Plays, 1744,
vol. i. ; (b) ibid., 1780, ed. Reed, vol. i. ; (c) ibid.,
1825-7, ed- Collier, vol. i. ; (d) ibid., 1876, ed.
Hazlitt, vol. iv. ; (e) in Ancient British Drama, 1810,
ed. Sir W. Scott, vol. i. In accordance with the
general scheme of this series, the spelling in the
present text has been modernised, save in a few
instances of rhyme-endings, or of words that seemed
to require, or for some reason were worthy of, a
special note : the punctuation has also been altered
where the sense seemed to demand it. The
author was Richard Edwards (q-v.), and although
he wrote other plays this is the only one ex
tant (see Palamon and Arcyte, &c.). A reduced
facsimile of the title-page of the edition of 1571 is
given on p. i. The original is a black-letter quarto
of thirty leaves, and seems to have been licensed to
the printer in 1568. In all probability, therefore, the
editio princeps has been lost. This is the more
likely, inasmuch as the title-page of the 1571 copy
speaks of its being " newly imprinted "; and also as
ED. M
1 62 Note- Book and Word- List [DAMON AND PITHIAS
" the same . . . except the Prologue that is some
what altered." It is uncertain when it was first pro
duced : some authorities regard it as identical with
the tragedy by Edwards which was performed before
the Queen at Richmond by the children of the chapel
in 1564-5. If this assumption is correct, then the
date of Damon and Pithias may be placed about
1 563-5 •' and> °f course, it must have been written
before 1566, when Edwards died. The plot turns
upon the nature of friendship — the selfishness of the
assumed article and the self-denial of the real. For
this purpose the story in Valerius Maximus, of
Damon and Pithias, serves as a medium. Edwards 's
production was the first English tragedy on a classical
subject that we know of. This and his other literary
efforts were highly esteemed by his contemporaries
and successors : he is spoken of as a man ol ready
wit and varied parts — " the best fiddler, the best
mimic, and the best sonneteer of the Court." Pos
terity, too, in the main confirms the verdict. His
latest exponent, Professor Gayley, in an admirable
and exhaustive " Historical View of English
Comedy " prefaced to Representative English Come
dies (Macmillan Co., 1903), regards Damon and
Pithias as a step " significant in literary history."
It is (he continues) " not only entirely free from
allegorical elements, and almost from didactic, but
it is rich in qualities of the fusion drama. The sub
ject of a classical story is handled in a genuinely
romantic fashion, although no previous drama of
romantic friendship had existed in England. Comic
and serious strains flow side by side, occasionally
mingling. A quick satire, dramatic and personal,
pervades the play. The names and scenes may be
Syracusan, and types from Latin comedy may walk
the streets, but the life is of the higher and lower
classes of England ; and the creatures of literary tradi
tion are elbowed and jostled by children of the soil.
The farcical episodes may be indelicate, but they
have the virility of fact. The plot as a whole is
skilfully conducted ; while it proceeds directly to the
goal, it encompasses a wider variety of ethical inter
ests, dramatic motives, and attractions, than that of
any previous play." To other productions from
DAMON AND FiTHiAs] Note-Book and Word-List 163
Ed wards 's pen a like meed of praise was given and
is due (see Edwards, Palamon and Arcite, &c.).
Variorum Readings, Corrigenda, &>c. — [Where
not otherwise attributed, the var. readings are those
of the edition of 1582.] — "The time, the place, the
authors" ($a), author; " Lo, this I speak" (50),
spake; " [Exit. [Here entereth," &c. ($a), delete the
" [ " in each instance; " Lovers of wisdom are termed
philosophy " (50), so in both editions : Hazlitt reads
(as suggested by Collier) " Loving of wisdom is
termed philosophy ," but possibly the second * in the
philosophic of the black-letter original is a misprint
for r, or a battered letter, thus #0tfofiOi)0t£ (philo-
sophre), a common enough form for philosopher —
the singular inflection with a plural tense, or vice
versa, is not uncommon ; " Let him roll in his tub to
win " (6b), original To ; " you are a grave bencher "
(7a)> great; ''do best thrive" (jb), do omitted;
"Spread in this town" (yd), the ; " Farewell, friend
Aristippus " (go), friend omitted; " Consuit amici-
tias " (gb)t the original has consultat ; " Where[as], in
deed " (9^), as not in original; " I meant it not"
(lob), meane ; " a right pattern thereof" (lob), original
has patron (M.E. from Fr. patron, which still = " pa
tron " and " pattern " : by 1700 the original form
[0.E.D.] ceased to be used of things, and the two
words became differentiated in form and sense) ;
"Exeunt" (nc), original has Exit ; "he cometh
home broken " (lie), it; "And to creep into men's
bosoms " (iid), bosome ; " and seeks to please " (i2c),
seeketh ; "laughed out with a scoff" (136), grace ;
" and playing quietly " (i3&), quickly ; " [Exeunt "
; "\~
, delete the "["; "\Who~] whispered in mine
ear" (i7a), not in original; " Steph. (aside). With
such " (170), (aside) not in original; "in utramque "
(ijd), utranque in original; "through worldly things "
(i8b), so in both editions : Dodsley (and Hazlitt
follows him) reads though, but the sense is good as
it was originally, and is still preserved in the present
text; "this world was like a stage" (igc), is lyke
unto a ; " Omne solum forti patria " (igd), read
partia : both original editions have " Omnis solum
fortis patria " ; " Die mihi . . . et urbes " (23 b and c),
in original editions, " Die mihi musa virum capt& post
M 2
1 64 Note-Book and Word-List [DAMON AND PITHIAS
tempore Trojce, Multorum hominum mores qui vidit
et urbis " ; "[Aside." (23^), not in original; "This
is he, fellow Snap, snap him up " (246), so in
original, but Hazlitt unnecessarily altered this to
" This is the fellow : Snap, snap him up " ; " Where
he hath dapsiles . . . zonam " (24^), in the original
this is nonsense, containing words unknown in Latin :
it there reads, " Dapsilce ccenas gemalis lectes, et
auro, Fulgentii turgmani zonam " : both this piece of
Latin and the preceding one (23 fe) are altered in the
Museum copy to the text as now given, but there
is no trace as to who made these corrections in red
ink in the margins; "some pleasant toy " (24^), in
original tyoe ; " Auri talentum " (250), Aure ; " [Here
entereth Carisophus " (25^), not in original; " I will
lay on mouth" (27^), lay on with my mouth;
" [Aside] If I speak " (27^), the [Aside] not in
original; "why would he then pry" (28a), should;
" [Exeunt." (28^), not in original; " in joyful times "
(29^), so in original : Mr. Collier proposed to read
times; "since that I hear" (30^), seeing; "Damon
my friend should die" (30^), must ; "with speed
now stop my breath " (30^), come ; " [Pithias retires."
(32^), not in original; " [Pithias comes forward."
(33&), not in original ; " Then bow on me " (33^),
unto ; " But you shall further two " (33^), in original
too ; " But yet, O mighty King " (37a), omitted in
first edition, but supplied in the second ; " I find this
justice " (37a), the comma after " dignity " in the
previous line should be deleted, and a semi-colon or
a dash should be inserted after this : the passage
then reads well enough as in the original ; " upon
suspicion of such things" (37&), each in original;
" who in opinion of simpleness have " foSa), in
original editions, where opinion simplenesse have ;
" Here Gronno [and Snap] bring in " (38^), [and
Snap] not in original ; "to despatch this inquiry "
(39<i), in original injurie ; "my life to pay" (400),
yeelde speedily; "[Aside." (406), not in original;
" my life I pawn " (40^), to ; " Take heed, for life,
worldly men," &c. (41??), this line, I am sorry to
say, has got badly used : the original editions read,
"Take heed: for life wordly men," &c. : I should
have printed, " Take heed for life : wordly men "
DAMON AND piTHiAs] Note-Book and Word-List 165
( = great talkers, men full of words), &c. — Hazlitt
reads, " Take heed for [your] life," &c., but I appre
hend your is not necessary to the sense, and worldly
in the next line should be wordly ; " [Exit Damon."
(430), not in original; " Cretizo cum Cre tense "
(47c), Cretiso in original; " [Aside." (47<0, not in
original; " Omnis . . . color" (5O&), colore in
original ; " Unsearched to enter his chamber, which
he hath made barbers his beard to shave " (51^), so
in original : Hazlitt reads while for which, making
sense of a sort, but I think the only alteration of the
original that is needed is to re-punctuate the text —
delete the comma after chamber and insert a semi
colon after made ; " mar your monkey's face "
(516), the original spelling in both cases is monckes ;
" Gave never a blow again " (5 id), geve ; " Cobex
epi coming yonder " (53&), Is has inadvertently been
omitted from the present text : Hazlitt reads, " 'tis
Coals I spy "; " Jack. Was it you " (53^), It was;
"Do they not say" (540), Doth ; "Good faith,
Master Grim" (54<i), Father; "a capon [to your
pay.] " &c. (54^), to your pay not in original : sup
plied by Hazlitt; "Are these such great hose?"
(556), in second but not in first edition ; " Nay, you
should find fau't " (55c), fau't should have been
printed fault, the original being faught, an old form :
Hazlitt inserts not between " should " and " find,"
but the sense is clear as in the original — a war of
words is in progress, and the collier will not admit
that his " chaff " about the breeches is fault-finding,
for that is Jack's prerogative : in the previous line
the second edition reads what fault can you see
here, instead of " can you find any fault here " ;
"these monsters first" (550), hose at; " Will, hold
this railing knave " (55^), Well in original; " [Enter
Jack," &c. (566), delete the "["; " Jebit . . .
Zawne " (56^), so in both editions : read Je bois
a vous mon compagnon. . . . J'ai vous pleige, petit
Zawne ; "When there were not" (570), was;
" Colliers have a very trim life " (59^), merie ; " quod
Bolton " (6oa), misprinted in original, Boulon ;
"[Aside." (6od), not in original; "most finely
shaven " (64^), trimly ; " [Exeunt " (6sa), original
Exit; " H'ath robbed me" (656), original Hath ;
166 Note-Book and Word-List [DEBENTERS
''usque ad aras " (673), original auras • " Amicitia
inter bonos " (6yd), both editions bonns ; " It is the
gods' judgment" (69*:), original Gods ; "He painted
speech" (69^), vaunted; " and striving stream I
sail " (700), streams ; " [Ext*." (yac), not in original;
" golden time do wear away " (jSa), so in both
editions : Collier and Hazlitt read " gold in time does
wear away "; " O happy Kings, who in your courts "
(79<2), in original editions O happie Kinges within
your courtes; "No reason the hangman" (Sib), It
is no reason : the [Aside] two lines above is not in
the original; " Exeunt Dion [and all," &c. (Sid), the
stage direction within the brackets is not in original ;
" The last song " (84*1), in original Finis is printed
just above this line, and below the second Finis at
foot appear some rude stock blocks.
DEBENTERS, see Renters.
DERIVED, "great fame derived down to them" (G. 920),
transmitted.
DISHERITANCE (G. io8d), disinheritance. " Having chid
me almost to the ruin Of a disheritance." — Beau
mont and Fletcher, Fair Maid of the Inn, ii. 2.
DOLE, " happy man be his dole " (D. ice), see other
volumes of this series.
DOTTREL, " doating dottrel " (D. 52^), fool, silly fellow,
dupe. From the assumed stupidity of the bird : it
being said to be so foolishly fond of imitation, that
it suffers itself to be caught while intent upon
mimicking the gestures of the fowler. It is aptly
described by Drayton : —
" The dotterel, which we think a very dainty dish,
Whose taking makes such sport, as no man more
can wish.
For as you creep, or cowr, or lie, or stoop, or go,
So, marking you with care, the apish bird doth do,
And acting every thing, doth never mark the net,
Till he be in the snare which men for him have
set."
— Drayton, Poly-Olbion (1612-22), s. 25.
" Our dotterel then is caught."
" He is, and just
As dotterels use to be : the lady first
EDWARDS (RICHARD)] Note-Book and Word-List 167
Advanced toward him, stretched forth her wing,
and he
Met her with all expressions."
—May, Old Couple, iii.
DUP, " dup the gate " (D. 530), open : cf. " dup ye
gyger» to open the dore " (Harman, Caveat, 1814,
66). "And dupped the chamber door." — Shakspeare,
Hamlet (1596), iv.
DURING, " during torments " (G. io6b), lasting : the
pr. par. of dure, now used only as a preposition.
EDWARDS (RICHARD), the author of Damon and Pithias,
and other plays not now extant, was born in Somerset
shire about the year 1523, and died in 1566. He
was educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford,
taking his B.A. degree in 1544. His fellowship came
by election in the same year, and three years later
he was a senior student of Christ Church in the same
University, where he took his M.A. degree. In the
interval (he speaks of it himself in The Paradise of
Dainty Devices), " when in youthful years . . . young
desire pricked him forth to serve in Court, a slender,
tall, young man." He does not say in what capacity ;
and, as stated above, he returned to Oxford, prob
ably to qualify himself for the post he afterwards
held. On his return to London he entered himself
at Lincoln's Inn, but he does not appear to have
practised at the Bar, a not uncommon course then, as
nowadays. He ultimately became one of the
Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal, and in 1561 was
appointed Master of the Children of the Chapel. He
wrote at least three plays — Damon and Pithias, and
Parts i and 2 of Palamon and Arcyte (q.v.). He
was also the compiler of a very popular anthology —
The Paradise of Dainty Devices, a collection made,
so the printer tells us, " for private use " by " one
both of worship and credit." The why and where
fore of this " private " collection, which was after
wards to receive wide publicity, may, most likely, be
found in Edwards's office, as a special point is made
in the preface of the earlier edition of the suitability
of the pieces for musical setting. ' The ditties are
both pithy and pleasant, and will yield a far greater
i68 Note-Book and Word-List [EDWARDS (RICHARD)
delight being as they are so aptly made to be set to
any song in five parts, or sung to any instrument."
A reduced facsimile of the title-page of the edition
of 1596 appears on p. 187 : the work proved to
popular taste, and ran through no fewer than nine
editions between the years 1576 and 1606. Not
withstanding this, as is often the case with the most
popular books — they get thumbed and torn and
dilapidated through use — copies of any impression
are now of extreme rarity. Misogonus, a notable
play of Edwards 's time, has also been attributed to
the author of Damon and Pithias. Whether there are
sound and solid grounds for this is a moot point.
The evidence, such as it is, is stated, but without
definite conclusion, in E.E.D.S., Anon. Plays,
Series 2, pp. 405-6. Edwards died on the 3ist
October, 1566. When on his death-bed he is said
by Wood to have composed a noted poem called
" Edwards' Soul Knil " (knell), or the " Soul Knil of
M. Edwards," which was once much admired.
Gascoigne was Wood's authority, but the author of
The Steele Glasse seems only to have ridiculed
the piece being written under such circumstances.
Another fact, well knowji to Shakspearean scholars,
seems worthy of more permanent record in this place.
The Stratford poet's allusion to the poem " In Com
mendation of Music," commonly attributed to
Edwards, in Romeo and Juliet (see E.E.D.S., Anon.
Plays, Series 2, s.v. Heartsease), seems to point
to Shakspeare's acquaintance with some of Edwards 's
literary productions. It may also be that the Induc
tion to Shakspeare's Taming of the Shrew (or its
predecessor : see Anon. Plays [E.E.D.S.], Series 6)
also found its original in another of our author's
books, now unfortunately for the most part if not al
together lost. Warton in his History of English
Poetry (iv. 117, 1824) writes: "Among the books
of my friend, the late Mr. William Collins, of Chi-
chester, now dispersed, was a collection of short comic
stories in prose, printed in the black letter, and, in
the year 1570, ' Set forth by Maister Richard Ed-
wardes, Mayster of Her Maiesties Revels.' ' Warton
mistakes (or the printer did so) Edwards's office : he
was not "Master of the Revels," but "Master of
EDWARDS (RICHARD)] Note-Book and Word- List 169
the Children of the Chapel." Still, Warton speaks as
if from an actual sight of the book ; and Mr. H. G.
Norton in the Shakspeare Society Papers (ii. i), writ
ing in 1845, says, " I apprehend that I have now in
my hands a portion of a reprint [of the edition dated
1570] containing the very tale on which the Induction
to Shakspeare 's ' Taming of the Shrew,' and to the
older ' Taming of a Shrew,' was founded. It is a
mere fragment of a book, and contains no more than
this story, so that we can only judge of its date
by its type and orthography : the type and ortho
graphy appear to me to be as old as about the year
1620 or 1630, and it begins upon p. 59, and ends upon
p. 67. Of the orthography the reader will be able
to form an opinion from what follows ; and, having
been a student of old books for the last twenty or
thirty years, I think I can speak positively to the
date of the type, which is rather large Roman letter,
much worn and battered. The words, ' the fifth
event,' at the commencement, show that four stories
preceded it, but by how many it was followed it is
impossible to decide. I should not be surprised if
the old language of 1570 had been in some degree
modernised in 1620 or 1630, but upon that point it is
not necessary for me to offer an opinion. If my con
jecture be correct, that Ed wards 's story-book of 1570
was reprinted fifty or sixty years afterwards, and that
my five leaves are a portion of that reprint, we have
arrived at the source of the Induction to ' The Taming
of a Shrew ' ; for I take it for granted that Shak
speare 's comedy was constructed upon the older play,
in which the Induction stands, in substance, as it is
given by our immortal dramatist. I subjoin a verbatim
et literatim copy of my fragment." So far Mr.
Norton, who follows on with the copy of the five
leaves, and which, for the sake of its possible con
nection with the author of Damon and Pithias, I also
reproduce here.
" THE WAKING MANS DREAME.
" The Fifth Event.
11 The Greek proverbe saith, that a man is but
the dreame of a shaddow, or the shaddow of a dreame ;
is there then anything more vaine then a shadow,
1 70 Note-Book and Word- List [EDWARDS (RICHARD)
which is nothing in it selfe, being but a privation of
light framed by the opposition of a thicke body unto
a luminous? is there any thing more frivolous then a
dreame, which hath no subsistence but in the hollow-
nesse of a sleeping braine, and which, to speake pro
perly, is nothing but a meere gathering together of
Chimericall Images? and this is it which makes an
ancient say, that we are but dust and shadow : our
life is compared unto those, who sleeping dreame that
they eate, and waking find themselves empty and
hungry ; and who Is he that doth not find this experi
mented in himselfe, as often as he revolves in his
memory the time which is past? who can in these
passages of this world distinguish the things which
have been done from those that have beene dreamed?
vanities, delights, riches, pleasures, and all are past
and gone ; are they not dreames ? What hath our
pride and pompe availed us? say those poore miser
able soules shut up in the infernall prisons : where is
our bravery become, and the glorious show of our
magnificence? all these things are passed like a flying
shadow, or as a post who hastens to his journeyes
end. This is it which caused the ancient Comicke
Poet to say that the world was nothing but an uni-
versall Comedy because all the passages thereof serve
but to make the wisest laugh : and, according to the
opinion of Democritus, all that is acted on this great
Theater of the whole wo'rld, when it is ended, differs
in nothing from what hath bin acted on a Players
stage : the mirrour which I will heere set before
your eyes will so lively expresse all these verities, and
so truly shew the vanities of all the greatnesse and
opulencies of the earth, that although in these Events
I gather not either examples not farre distant from our
times, or that have beene published by any other
writer, yet I beleeve that the serious pleasantnesse
of this one will supply its want of novelty, and that
its repetition will neither bee unfruitfull nor unpleas-
ing.
" In the time that Phillip Duke of Burgundy (who
by the gentlenesse and curteousnesse of his carriage
purchaste the name of good) guided the reines of the
country of Flanders, this prince, who was of an
humour pleasing, and full of judicious goodnesse,
EDWARDS (UICHARD)] Note-Book and Word-List 171
rather then silly simplicity, used pastimes which for
their singularity are commonly called the pleasures
of Princes : after this manner he no lesse shewed the
quaintnesse of his wit then his prudence.
" Being in Bruxelles with all his Court, and having
at his table discoursed amply enough of the vanities
and greatnesse of this world, he let each one say his
pleasure on this subject, whereon was alleadged grave
sentences and rare examples : walking towards the
evening in the towne, his head full of divers thoughts,
he found a Tradesman lying in a corner sleeping
very soundly, the fumes of Bacchus having surcharged
his braine. I describe this mans drunkenesse in as
good manner as I can to the credit of the party. This
vice is so common in both the superior and inferiour
Germany, that divers, making glory and vaunting
of their dexterity in this art, encrease their praise
thereby, and hold it for a brave act. The good Duke,
to give his followers an example of the vanity of all
the magnificence with which he was invironed, de
vised a meanes farre lesse dangerous than that which
Dionysius the Tyrant used towards Democles, and
which in pleasantnesse beares a marvellous utility.
He caused his men to carry away this sleeper, with
whom, as with a blocke, they might doe what they
would, without awaking him ; he caused them to
carry him into one of the sumptuosest parts of his
Pallace, into a chamber most state-like furnished, and
makes them lay him on a rich bed. They presently
strip him of his bad cloathes, and put him on a very
fine and cleane shirt, in stead of him own, which was
foule and filthy. They let him sleepe in that place
at his ease, and whitest hee settles his drinke the
Duke prepares the pleasantest pastime that can be
imagined.
" In the morning, this drunkard being awake drawes
the curtaines of this brave rich bed, sees himselfe in
a chamber adorned like a Paradice, he considers the
rich furniture with an amazement such as you may
imagine : he beleeves not his eyes, but layes his
fingers on them, and feeling them open, yet perswades
himselfe they are shut by sleep, and that all he sees
is but a pure dreame.
" Assoone as he was luiowne to be awake, in comes
172 Note-Book and Word-List [EDWARDS (RICHARD)
the officers of the Dukes house, who were instructed
by the Duke what they should do. There were pages
bravely apparelled, Gentlemen of the chamber, Gen
tleman waiters, and the High Chamberlaine, who, all
in faire order and without laughing, bring cloathing
for this new guest : they honour him with the same
great reverences as if hee were a Soveraigne Prince ;
they serve him bare headed, and aske him what suite
hee will please to weare that day.
" This fellow, affrighted at the first, beleeving these
things to be inchantment or dreames, reclaimed by
these submissions, tooke heart, and grew bold, and
setting a good face on the matter, chused amongst
all the apparell that they presented unto him that
which he liked best, and which hee thought to be
fittest for him ; he is accommodated like a King, and
served with such ceremonies, as he had never scene
before, and yet beheld them without saying any thing,
and with an assured countenance. This done, the
greatest Nobleman in the Dukes Court enters the
chamber with the same reverence and honour to him
as if he had been their Soveraigne Prince (Phillip with
Princely delight beholds this play from a private
place) ; divers of purpose petitioning him for pardons,
which hee grants with such a countinance and gravity,
as if he had had a Crowne on his head all his life
time.
" Being risen late, and dinner time approaching,
they asked if he were pleased to have his tables
covered. He likes that very well. The table is fur
nished, where he is set alone, and under a rich
Canopie : he eates with the same ceremony which
was observed at the Dukes meales ; he made good
cheere, and chawed with all his teeth, but only drank
with more moderation then he could have wisht, but
the Majesty which he represented made him refraine.
All taken away, he was entertained with new and
pleasant things : they led him to walke about the great
Chambers, Galleries, and Gardens of the Pallace (for
all this merriment was played within the gates, they
being shut only for recreation to the Duke and the
principall of his Court) : they shewed him all the
richest and most pleasantest things therin, and talked
to him thereof as if they had all beene his, which he
EDWARDS (RICHARD)] Note-Book and Word-List 173
heard with an attention and contentment beyond
measure, not saying one word of his base condition,
or declaring that they tooke him for another. They
made him passe the afternoone in all kind of sports ;
musicke, dancing, and a Comedy, spent some part of
the time. They talked to him of some State matters,
whereunto he answered according to his skill, and like
a right Twelfetide King.
" Super time approaching, they aske this new
created Prince if he would please to have the Lords
and Ladies of his Court to sup and feast with him ;
whereat he seemed something unwilling, as if hee
would not abase his dignity unto such familiarity :
neverlesse, counterfeiting humanity and affability, he
made signes that he condiscended thereunto : he then,
towards night, was led with sound of Trumpets and
Hoboyes into a faire hall, where long Tables were
set, which were presently covered with divers sorts
of dainty meates, the Torches shined in every corner,
and made a day in the midst of a night : the Gentle
men and Gentlewomen were set in fine order, and the
Prince at the upper end in a higher seat. The ser
vice was magnificent ; the musicke of voyces and in
struments fed the eare, whilest mouthes found their
food in the dishes. Never was the imaginary Duke
at such a feast : carousses begin after the manner of
the Country ; the Prince is assaulted on all sides,
as the Owle is assaulted by all the Birdes, when he
begins to soare. Not to seeme uncivill he would doe
the like to his good and faithfull subjects. They
serve him with very strong wine, good Hipocras,
which hee swallowed downe in great draughts, and
frequently redoubled ; so that, charged with so many
extraordinaryes, he yeelded to deaths cousin german,
sleep, which closed his eyes, stopt his eares, and made
him loose the use of his reason and all his other
sences.
" Then the right Duke, who had put himselfe among
the throng of his Officers to have the pleasure of this
mummery, commanded that this sleeping man should
be stript out of his brave cloathes, and cloathed againe
in his old ragges, and so sleeping carried and layd
in the same place where he was taken up the night
before. This was presently done, and there did he
174 Note-Book and Word- List [EDWARDS (RICHARD)
snort all the night long, not taking any hurt either
from the hardnesse of the stones or the night ayre, so
well was his stomacke filled with good preservatives.
Being awakened in the morning by some passenger,
or it may bee by some thaf the good Duke Philip had
thereto appointed, ha ! said he, my friends, what
have you done? you have rob'd mee of a Kingdome,
and have taken mee out of the sweetest and happiest
dreame that ever man could have fallen into. Then,
very well remembring all the particulars of what had
passed the day before, he related unto them, from
point to point, all that had happened unto him, still
thinking it assuredly to bee a dreame. Being re
turned home to his house, hee entertaines his wife,
neighbours, and friends, with this his dreame, as hee
thought : the truth whereof being at last published by
the mouthes of those Courtiers who had been present
at this pleasant recreation, the good man could not
beleeve it, thinking that for sport they had framed
this history upon his dreame ; but when Duke Philip,
who would have the full contentment of this pleasant
tricke, had shewed him the bed wherein he lay, the
cloathes which he had worne, the persons who had
served him, the Hall wherein he had eaten, the
gardens and galleries wherein hee had walked, hardly
could hee be induced to beleeve what hee saw,
imagining that all this was meere inchantment and
illusion.
" The Duke used some liberality towards him for
to helpe him in the poverty of his family ; and, taking
an occasion thereon to make an Oration unto his
Courtiers concerning the vanity of this worlds honours,
hee told them that all that ambitious persons seeke
with so much industry is but smoake, and a meere
dreame, and that they are strucken with that pleasant
folly of the Athenian, who imagined all the riches
that arrived by shipping in the haven of Athens to
be his, and that all the Marchants were but his
factors : his friends getting him cured by a skilfull
Physitian of the debility of his brain, in lieu of giving
them thanks for this good office, he reviled them,
saying that, whereas he was rich in conceit, they
had by this cure made him poore and miserable in
effect.
EGAL, EGALNESS] Note-Book and Word-List 175
" Harpaste, a foole that Senecaes wife kept, and
whose pleasant imagination this grave Phylosopher
doth largely relate, being growne blind, could not
perswade herselfe that she was so, but continually com
plained that the house wherein she dwelt was dark,
that they would not open the windowes, and that
they hindred her from setting light, to make her be-
leeve she could see nothing : hereupon this great
Stoick makes this fine consideration, that every
vitious man is like unto this foole, who, although he
be blind in his passion, yet thinks not himselfe to be
so, casting all his defect on false surmises, whereby
he seeks not only to have his sinne worthy of excuse
and pardon, but even of praise : the same say the
covetous, ambitious, and voluptuous persons, in de
fence of their imperfections ; but in fine (as the Psalm
ist saith), all that must passe away, and the images
thereof come to nothing, as the dreame of him that
awaketh from sleepe.
" If a bucket of water be as truly water, as all the
sea, the difference only remaining in the quantity, not
in the quality, why shall we not say, that our poore
Braba.nder was a Soveraigne Prince for the space
of fowre and twenty houres, being that he received
all the honours and commodities thereof : how many
Kings and Popes have not lasted longer, but have dyed
on the very day of their Elections or Coronations?
As for those other pompes, which have lasted longer,
what are they else but longer dreames? This vanity
of worldly things is a great sting to a well composed
soule, to helpe it forward towards the heavenly king-
dome."
Contemporary mention of Edwards is invariably in
terms of high, and sometimes what would now be
regarded as extravagant, praise. I conclude with a
selection of references to such eulogies : — Turberville
(1567), Works [Chalmers, ii. 651]; Twine (1567), in
Turberville 's Works [Chalmers, ii. 620]; Webbe, Dis
course of English Poetry (1586) ; Puttenham, Art of
English Poesy (1589) ; Meres, Palladis Tamia (1598).
EGAL, EGALNESS (G. 936 ; 976, c, d), equal, equality :
from the Fr. " Whose souls do bear an egal yoke of
love." — Shakspeare, Merchant of Venice (1598), iii. 4.
176 Note-Book and Word-List [ERST
ERST, " erst to use " (920), first : the superlative of cer =
soon.
FACSIMILES. A reduced facsimile of the title-page of the
edition of Damon and Pithias, published 1571, appears
on page i ; and of the title-page of the first edition
of Gorboduc facing p. 85 ; also of Ed wards 's Paradise
of Dainty Devices, p. 187.
FACT, " enemies that will withstand my fact herein "
(G. 144^), deed, act, performance, anything done ;
now archaic.
FAINTED, " In mutual friendship at no time have
fainted " (D. 140), lost strength, weakened.
FAME, " louting out the fame " (G. g6c), fame is a mis
print for same.
FERREX AND PORREX, see Gorboduc.
FILED, " thy filed tongue " (D. 82??), properly polished,
refined: hence unctuous, honeyed, parasitical. "So
it will seem to all that hear's unless you do it file."-
Misogonus (c. 1560), Prol. (E.E.D.S., Anon. PL Ser.
2, i35<i). " The sly deceiver, Cupid, thus beguil'd The
simple damsel with his filed tongue." — Fairfax, Tasso
(1600), vi. 73.
FILLING ALE, "fetch him his filling ale" (0.560),
? thilling ale = carting ale : i.e. ale given as an extra,
11 a drink." Thills = the shafts of a cart or waggon;
and fill-horse = draught horse.
FLAT, " we do protest this flat " (D. 50), plainly,
straightforwardly : see i Henry IV. i. 3.
FOND, FONDLY, FONDNESS, " very fondly ... he viewed
this city " (D. 33^) — " No fondness at all but perfect
amity " (D. qia : see also 40^) — " when in fond
princes' hearts Flattery prevails " (G. iS2a), foolish,
stupidly, folly. " He that is young thinketh the olde
man fond; and the olde knoweth the young man to
be a foole. "— Lyly, Euph. and his Eng. (1580), p. 9.
" Fondness it were for any, being free, To covet
fetters, tho' they golden be." — Spenser, Sonnet
(1592-3). 37-
GORBODUC] Note-Book and Word- List 177
FORESET, " When kings of foreset will neglect "
(G. lisa), pre-ordainment, a setting out beforehand.
" In th' heaven's universal alphabet All earthly things
so surely are foreset." — Bp. Hall, Virgidemiarum
(1599), bk. ii., sat. 7.
Fox, " I will fox you " (D. 52*:), it is uncertain whether
fox here = to fight with a sword (colloquially called a
"fox " : see Henry V. iv. 4), to deceive or cheat,
or to stupefy with drink.
FRANION, " my franion " (D. 45^), boon companion : a
generic term for loose-livers — gay idler, paramour,
mistress, tippler ; thought to be from Fr. faine'ant.
" Might not be found a francker franion, Of her
leawd parts to make companion." — Spenser, Fairy
Queen (1590), II. ii. 37. " As for this ladie which he
sheweth here, Is not, I wager, Florimell at all, But
some fayre franion, fit for such a fere." — Ibid, (1596),
V. iii. 22.
GOD'S AYMES (D. 620), God's arms.
GORBODUC (or FERREX AND PORREX). The text is from
a copy of the edition of 1570-1, now in the British
Museum. The spelling is modernised (save in such
exceptional cases as are provided for in the general
scheme of this series), and the punctuation is modified
only so far as to render the sense clear to modern
readers. A previous edition appeared in 1565 ; but
this appears to have been unauthorised and surrepti
tious. The facts are set out by " the p[ublisher] to
the reader " (see pp. 86-7), the W. G. alluded to being
William Griffith, the publisher of the " first " edition.
Another edition appeared in 1590. As that of 1570-1
was authorised I have not thought it necessary to
collate it with the stolen text of 1565. Gorboduc (or
rather Ferrex and Porrex, as the authors named it)
has been reprinted (a) in Sackville's Works (ed. West) ;
(b) in Norton's Works, 1570; (c) by Spence in 1736;
(d) in Hawkins's Orig. Eng. Drama, 1773, vol. ii. ; (e)
in Dodsley's Collection of Old Plays, 1744, vol. ii. ;
(/) ibid., 1780 (ed. Reed), vol. i. ; (g) ibid., 1825-7 (ed.
Collier), vol. i. ; (h) in Ancient British Drama, 1810
(ed. Sir Walter Scott), vol. i. ; and (») by the Shak-
speare Society, 1847 (ed. W. D. Cooper). A facsimile
ED. N
178 Note-Book and Word-List [GORBODUC
title-page of the edition of 1565 forms a frontispiece to
this volume. Ferrex and Porrex is the first regular
English historical tragedy ; and it is also the first of
our old plays that was written in blank verse. It was
the joint production of two gentlemen of the Inner
Temple, Thomas Sackville (afterwards Lord Buckhurst
and the Earl of Dorset) and Thomas Norton. Nor
ton's share is now generally considered to have been
limited to the arrangement of the dumb shows preced
ing each act — " the shadows of coming events." Still
Cooper, the editor of the Shakspeare Society edition of
the play, emphatically declares his opinion to be that
Norton " had undoubtedly a principal hand in the
execution." Both men, as previously stated, wete
members of the Inner Temple, and wrote the tragedy
specially for presentation on the New Year's banquet
ing night of the Christmas revels of 1561-2 — " a grand
Christmas " with elaborate " festivities and junket
ings," of which this dramatic representation was the
climax. It was subsequently performed by the gentle
men of the Inner Temple before Queen Elizabeth at
Whitehall, 18 Jan. 1561. The " story," which is
drawn from Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum
Britannia, is told by the authors themselves in the
" arguments " before each act. The pivot of the
play is the evil effects of national dissension — a timely
and topical theme at the period of writing : the pro
tracted conflict between the two great religious sec
tions of the State, Catholics and Reformers, and be
tween " sectional " Protestants, was again becoming
acute. The first pronouncement on the play was a
favourable one, and the estimate then formed has
been confirmed over and over again since that time : as
witness its repeated appearance in all the more im
portant " collections " of our early drama. Professor
Schelling, one of the latest to deal with it, concurs,
and says (English Chronicle Plays, pp. 19 and 272), " it
is impossible to overestimate the importance of the
position which the tragedy Gorboduc holds at the
threshold of the English drama. The composition of
gentlemen of the Inns of Court, performed before the
Queen, and following in the wake of the Continental
imitations of Seneca, this play is none the less of
moment for the effect which it was to have on the
GORBODUC] Note-Book and Word- List 179
popular drama to come. The significance of this
tragedy in its choice of English instead of the learned
tongue in which such performances continued often to
be given, in its use of blank verse in place of the usual
riming and tumbling measures, and in its substitution
of an artistic purpose for the old didactic one, is
familiar to every student of English literature. It is
the selection of a theme from English historical lore
in place of the customary moral, biblical, or classical
study which gives to Gorboduc its special significance
in the history of the national drama ; and this im
portance is not in the least diminished by the likeli
hood that Sackville and Norton were attracted to their
subject because of its superficial resemblance to the
story of the Thebais of Seneca rather than through
any set determination to levy contribution on national
sources hitherto untried. Whatever the direct impetus,
Gorboduc is the earliest of a long list of English
dramas which laid under contribution those legendary
and pseudo-historical materials of the early chronicles
of Britain which emanated from the fertile brain of
Geoffrey of Monmouth. The relation of the earliest
English tragedy to the English Chronicle play is suffi
ciently defined in the recognition of this fact." Direct
words these, and emphatic ! Lest, however, I should
be misrepresenting what Prof. Schelling wished to
say, or omitting any point germane to, or qualifying,
his argument, I will add what, if not a modification
of the foregoing, is at any rate a caution to the
student. In the summarised conclusion of the whole
matter, Prof. Schelling (p. 272) writes thus : " That
the earliest English tragedy, Gorboduc, should have
drawn on a subject derived from English mythological
lore is a circumstance to which an undue significance
may be readily attached. That famous play with its
direct follower, The Misfortunes of Arthur, and the
Latin Richardus Tertius, are purely Senecan dramas,
which, departing from the usual classical subjects of
their type, have strayed into English fields. But the
choice of such subjects, however accidental, had great
effect on what was to come." The imprint of the
authorised 1570-1 edition is as follows : " Seen and
allowed. Imprinted at London by John Daye, dwell
ing over Aldersgate [1570]."
N 2
i8o
Note-Book and Word-List
[GREE
GREE, " if they gree in one " (G. g6d), agree. " And
doe not see how much they must defalke Of their
accounts, to make them gree with ours." — Daniel,
Philotas (1597), p. 195.
GRIM THE COLLIER, see Anon. Plays (E.E.D S ) Ser A
Note-Book.
GRIPE, " cruel gripe " (G. 1066), vulture, griffin.
" Where Titius hath his lot To feed the gripe that
gnaws his growing heart. "—Tancred and Gism.,
Dodsley's Old Plays (Reed), ii. 196.
GROAT, " who can sing . . . change a groat " (0.590),
see Hey wood, Works (E.E.D.S.), n. tfa.
GUERDON, " to bear such guerdon " (G. 142^), recom
pense, reward : here retribution for evil. " And I
am guerdon' d at the last with shame." — Shakspeare,
3 Henry VI. (1595), iii. 3.
HARECOP, " a merry harecop " (D. 586), harebrain,
" giddykins. "
HATEFUL, " the hateful gods " (G. 122^), full of hatred,
malevolent. " Hide thee from their hatefull looks."
— Shakspeare, 2 Henry VI. (1594), ii. 4.
HEAD, " My neck ... in striking off this head "
(D. 78^), honesty = fame, good reputation, credit.
" Also the hangman kneled doune to him askyng
him forgiuenes of his death (as the manner Js), to
whom he sayd I forgeue thee, but I promise thee that
thou shall! neuer haue honestie of the strykyng of
my head, my necke is so short." — Speech of Sir T.
More in Hall, Chronicle, 226.
HEAPS, see Hugy.
HESTS, "your noble hests " (G. H9&), commands, in
junctions, precepts.
HOG'S FLESH, " the trimmest hog's flesh from London
to York " (D. 640), there would seem to be here an
allusion to the quality of Yorkshire produce, still
world-famous, especially in respect of York hams,
&c.
HONESTY, see Head.
KING'S LANGUAGE] Note-Book and Word- List 181
HORSE, " a short horse is soon curried " (D. 2od),
see Heywood, Works (E.E.D.S.), H. 236, 174*;.
How, see Aloyse.
HUGY, " hugy frames " (G. 1260) — " what hugy num
ber " (G. 14 id) — " hugy heaps of these unhaps "
(G. 148^), vast, great : note the alliteration in the
last example. " Your three-fold army and my hugy
host Shall swallow up these base-born Persians." —
Marlowe, i Tamburlaine (1590), iii. 3.
ICH (passim), I.
IMPS, " such imps " (D. 35^), specifically scions of
noble houses : here such as would form part of a
courtly retinue ; or, generally, those who were likely
to come into contact with a king. " The king pre
ferred there eighty noble imps to the order of knight
hood." — Stow, Annals (1592), p. 385.
JACK FLETCHER, " as like in condition as Jack Fletcher
and his bolt" (0.96), fletcher = arrow-maker : speci
fically the workman whose part was to put on the
feathers.
JACK-NAPES, "if you play Jack-napes" (D. 5ic). Dr.
Murray (O.E.D.) says, " So far as yet found, the
word appears first as an .opprobrious nickname of
William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk (murdered
1450), whose badge was a clog and chain such as
was attached to a tame ape. . . . But of Jack Nape
or Napes and its relation to an ape or apes no certain
explanation can be offered." " As he played at cards
with me . . . [he] said I played Jack Napes with
him."— -Lett, and Papers Henry VIII. (Rolls), tf.
222 (1534).
JEBIT, " Jebit avow . . . Zawne " (56^), properly, Je
bois a vous mon compagnon . . . J'ai vous pleige,
petit Zawne : Zawne = zany.
KING'S LANGUAGE, " clip the King's language "
(D. 57c), King's English. " Your courteoures, quha
. . . sum tymes spilt (as they cal it) the King's
language."— A. Hume, Brit. Tongue (c. 1620),
Ded. 2.
1 82
Note-Book and Word-List [KING'S MOUTH
KING'S MOUTH, " take in coals for the King's mouth "
(D. 53^), i.e. for the use of the court: mouth = an
entrance : cf. Bouge of Court. " This is the mouth
of the cell." — Shakspeare, Tempest (1609), iv. i.
KNOT, " I have played with his beard in knitting this
knot " (D. ioa), a complication, something intricate,
a tangle, difficulty, or knotty question. " Unto
hym that love wole flee, The knotte maye unclosed
bee." — Rom. Rose (c. 1400), 4698.
LENGTH, " shall length your noble life " (G. 960), pro
long, lengthen. "When your eyes have done their
part, Thought must length it in the hart." — Daniel,
Tethys Fest. (1610), F 36.
LET (passim), hinder, hindrance.
LIBERALITY, " in thy pleasant liberality " (D. 8aa),
freedom.
LICENCE, " I pray you licence me " (D. zid), give leave,
permit, authorise : see Anon. Plays (E.E.D.S.), Ser.
2, s.v. License.
LIKETH, " that liketh us so well " (G. i43c), pleaseth.
"This is my loved sone that lyketh me." — PUg.
Sowle (1413), v. xii. 103.
LOBCOCK, " I will make you a lobcock " (D. 57^), lout,
boor, blundering fool." " Seneca and Lucan were
lobcockes to choose that death." — Nashe, Unf. Trav.
(iS94), 76.
LONGS, " to whom the sceptre longs " (G. 1500), is ap
propriate to, pertains to. " Hym lakked nought that
longcth to a kyng. "—Chaucer, Cant. Tales (1383),
Sq. Tale, 8.
LOTTING, " lotting out the same " (G. g6c), assign in
shares or portions, divide. " At last they fell to the
custome of lotting of voyces in the Conclaue." —
Fenton, Guicciard (1579), xiv. (1599), 668.
Lousious, " lousious and trim " (D. 560), luscious.
LUST, " your lust is lost " (D. 36) — " muse he that
lust " (D. 30), desire, wish, please.
MAST, " mast tipstaff" (D. 66n), master.
NORTON (THOMAS)] Note-Book and Word- List 183
MEVE, " his suit did meve " (D. ^oc), move.
MINION, " your master is a minion " (D. izd), a
favourite. " Immortall minions in their Maker's
sight." — Stirling, Domes-day (1614), Twelfth Howe.
Mo (passim), more.
MORGAN (G. 96^), Margan who was killed by his brother
Cunedagius : see Geoffrey of Monmouth, n. 15.
MOUTH, (a) " to make up my mouth " (D. 276), i.e.
make up his plunder, booty.
(b) "I will lay on mouth for you " (D. 27^), i.e.
talk about you.
(c) see King's mouth.
MUMBUDGET (D. 25^), silence ! keep quiet ! "I come to
her in white, and cry mum ; and she cries budget,
and by that we know one another." — Shakspeare,
Merry W. W. (1596), v. 2.
MUSSELDEN (D. 56^), muscadine.
NE (passim), nor.
NEW BROOM, " a new broom sweeps clean " (D. loc),
Hey wood has " the green new broom sweepeth clean "
(Works, E.E.D.S., n. 54a).
NIP, " from their nips shall I never be free " (D. i$c),
taunts, scoffs.
NOCENT, "whom the king judgeth nocent " (0.340),
guilty, criminal, mischievous. " Nocent, not innocent
he is that seeketh to deface, By word the thing, that
he by deed had taught men to imbrace." — Fox,
Martyrs (1563), p. 231, col. 2.
NODDY, " I will not call you noddy " (D. 6d), fool, sim
pleton. " As we find of Irus the begger, and Thersites
the glorious noddie, whom Homer makes mention of."
— Puttenham, Art of Poesy (1589), B. i. ch. 20.
NORTON (THOMAS), joint author with Thomas Sack-
ville (afterwards Lord Buckhurst) of Ferrex and
Porrex, was a Bedfordshire man, born in 1532, at
Streatley, about six miles from Luton. Wood de
scribes him in after life as "a forward and busy
Calvinist and noted zealot"; and Strype as "a
minister of good parts and learning." His learning
1 84 Note-Book and Word-List [ON
was undoubted, but where he obtained it is not re
corded, though he was only eighteen when he published
his first work, a translation of Peter Martyr's letter
to the Protector Somerset, from whom, while he lived,
Norton had substantial patronage. After Somerset's
death, Norton entered himself as a student of the
Inner Temple (1555), and subsequently rose to con
siderable eminence and wealth in his profession. He
found time, nevertheless, for a large amount of polemi
cal writing. In 1565 he entered himself at Pembroke
Hall, Oxford, taking his degree of M.A. in 1569. He
was in residence here when the first and surreptitious
edition of ¥ err ex and Porrex appeared. Somewhat
earlier (1561 to 1584) he held office as counsel to the
Stationers' Company, and became also a licenser of
books, proving himself very zealous in the enforcement
of penalties against contumacious printers. Norton
was a man of rigidly extreme views, and in religious
matters puritanical to a degree. He died in 1584.
[A full and exhaustive memoir by Mr. W. D. Cooper
appears in the Shakspeare Society's edition of Gorbo-
duc, with copious extracts and copies of documentary
evidence of every description.]
ON, " a cup to drink on " (D. 566), from. " But
what art thou That hast this Fortune dn me." —
Shakspeare, Lear (1605), v. 3. 165.
PALAMON AND ARCYTE. This lost play of Richard Ed
wards, in two parts, is known chiefly through Stow's
Chronicle and Anthony Wood's account of a mishap.
It appears that in 1566 Edwards accompanied Queen
Elizabeth to Oxford, and while there this play was
acted before her in Christ Church Hall on the 2nd and
3rd September. Stow says, " It had such tragical
success as was very lamentable ; for at that time by
the fall of a wall and a pair of stairs and great press
of the multitude three men were slain." Wood is
more explicit. He says : " At night, September 2nd,
the Queen heard the first part of an English play,
named Palamon and Arcyte, made by M. Richard
Edwards, a gentleman of her Chapel, acted with very
great applause, in Christ Church Hall, at the begin
ning of which play, there was, by part of the stage
PARADISE, &c.] Note- Book and Word-List 185
which fell, three persons slain, besides five that were
hurt. Afterwards the actors performed their parts so
well, that the Queen laughed heartily thereat, and
gave the author of the play great thanks for his
pains." Peshall, in his History of the University, im
plies that the Queen was not actually present when
the accident occurred, and probably she was kept in
ignorance of the fatality. Anthony Wood also men
tions some of the characters — " Palamon, Arcite,
Pirithous, Trecotio, Emilia." The part of Emilia was
played by a handsome youth of about fourteen years
old, and he contrived to obtain possession of some
part of the dress of her Majesty's late sister and pre
decessor, Queen Mary. The Queen was so pleased
with the performance of the part that in token of her
approbation she presented him with gold pieces to the
value of eight pounds. There are also other minor
contemporary references to this play, now unfortunately
no longer available. The story is that of Chaucer's
Knight's Tale (probably Edwards 's source), and Shak-
speare and Fletcher selected the same subject in The
Two Noble Kinsmen. In 1594 Henslowe is recorded
to have bought a book of Palamon and Arsett : this
also has been lost.
PALLARRIME (D. 620), Palermo, once as famous for its
razors as was Toledo for its blades. " Neighbour,
sharpen the edge tole of your wits upon the whet
stone of indiscretion, that your wordes may shine
like the rasers of Palermo." — Lodge, Wounds of Civil
War (1594).
PANTACLE (D. 51*:), a corrupt form of pantofle, slipper.
PARADISE OF DAINTY DEVICES (THE). A collection of
poems intended, for the most part, for musical setting
was published in 1576, ten years after the death of
the compiler, Master Richard Edwards (q.v.), the
author of Damon and Pithias (q.v.), Palamon and
Arcyte (q.v.), and other works. He was himself
a contributor of a not inconsiderable number of items.
The book ran through many editions, copies of any
of which are of the utmost rarity. Other particulars
concerning the work will be found s.v. " Edwards,"
ante. In the British Museum (1087, f. 7) is in
cluded, in the 3rd volume of The British Biblio-
1 86
Note- Book and Word-List
[PATIENT
grapher, a reprint of the 1576 edition of The Paradise
of Dainty Devices, edited by Sir Egerton Brydges,
and published in 1810. The " advertisement " states
that it had been printed literatim " from a copy be
longing to the Editor, made by the hand of the late
eminent George Steevens." The pages of the original
are imperfectly numbered, and this peculiarity has
been retained in this reprint. The ancient orthography
has also been retained, but the punctuation altered
where the old punctualion seemed to destroy the sense.
The 1596 ed. is the earliest one in the B.M. Col
lier's edition (B.M. 2326, c. 7, published later) exactly
follows the 1576 edition.
PATIENT, " patient your grace " (G. 1340), show patience,
be patient. " Patient yourself, Madam, and pardon
me." — Shakspeare, Tit. Andr. (1588), i. i. 121.
'PEASE, " and 'pease the hateful gods " (G. 122^), ap
pease.
PENNYWORTHS, " I will have my pennyworths of thee "
(0.456), aright equivalent, what's owing and more,
one's money's worth. " If you deny me this request
I will . . . haue my peniworths of them for it."—
Marpr. Epist. (1588), 27 (Arber).
PESTENS, " 'tis a pestens quean " (D. 63^), pestilent.
PESTLE OF PORK (D. 640.), gammon of bacon: pestle —
leg. " You shall as commonly see legges of men
hang up, as here with us you shall find pestels of
porke, or legges of veale." — Healy, Disc, of a New
World (c. 1610), p. 161.
PIKE, "pike, rise, and walk" (D. 216), pick.
PITCHER, " The pitcher goeth so long to the water that
he cometh home broken " (D. nc), see Heywood,
Works (E.E.D.S.), n. 82&, 425(1.
PLOT, " a trimmer plot I have not seen " (D. 22c), the
" view " as laid out before the speaker : usually of a
small piece of ground, a plat.
POUCH'D, " cha pouch'd them up already " (D. 276),
pocketed. " In January fcmsband that poucheth the
grotes, Will break up his lay, or be sowing of otes."
— Tusser, Husbandrie (1557).
[Reduced Facsimile of the Title-page of "The Paradise
of Dainty Devices" from a Copy of the edition of 1596,
now in the British Museum.]
i88 Note-Book and Word-List [PREASE
PREASE, " stand close in the prease " (D. 35a), crowd :
see other volumes of this series.
PRESENTLY, " let us presently depart " (G. 143??), at
once: cf. by and by — immediately. "Presently? Ay,
with a twink." — Shakspeare, Tempest (1609), iv.
PRETENDED, "the great pretended wrong" (G. n8d),
intended. " Perill by this salvage man pretended."
— Spenser, Fairy Queen (1596), VI. v. 10.
PRICKETH, " it pricketh fast upon noon " (D. 736),
prick = to ride rapidly.
PROTRACT, " without protract " (G. 1320), delay. " With
out further protract and dilation of time." — Wyatt,
Works; Henry VIII. to Wyatt (an. 1529).
QUIDDLE, " we will quiddle upon it " (D. 636), to talk,
act, or treat triflingly : cf. twiddle, quibble, piddle.
" I doubt not but manie will quiddle therevpon." —
Fleming, Contn. Holinshed (1587), in. 1275, 2.
QUINCH, " I care not a quinch " (D. i6a), not even a
start: from verb = start, flinch, stir, move.
RANDON, " left to randon " (G. 114^), to fly at random,
go without restraint.
REDE, "neglect the rede" (G. u$b), counsel.
REGALS (D. 3oa), " a small portable organ formerly in
use, having one, or sometimes two, sets of reed-pipes
played with keys with the right hand, while a small
bellows was worked by the left hand . . . (common
c. 1550-1625)." (O.E.D.)
ROASTS, see Rules.
ROBIN RUDDOCKS (D. 550), robin redbreasts.
ROISTER (D. 3^), swaggerer, bully, rioter.
RUG, " seven ells of rug " (D. 556), a play on " rogue."
RULES, " rules the roasts " (D. i3a), takes the lead.
" Jhon, duke of Burgoyn, which ruled the rost, and
governed both kyng Charles the Frenche kyng, and his
whole realme." — Hall, Union (1548), Henry IV. f. 30.
SORT] Note-Book and Word-List 189
SACKVILLE (THOMAS, afterwards Lord Buckhurst, and
Earl of Dorset) was born in 1536 at Withyham, in
Sussex, and died suddenly at a council meeting in
Whitehall in 1608. Being of kin to Queen Anne
Bulleyne, he was, in his younger years, brought into
contact with Elizabeth. Educated at Oxford and Cam
bridge, he took his M.A. degree at the fen city. He
proceeded to the Inner Temple as a student, and
subsequently became a barrister, but in all probability
never practised at the Bar. It was, however, during
his legal career that he met Norton — one result of
which was the joint production of the first historical
English tragedy. Thenceforth his career was chiefly
political, and so continued to the hour of his some
what tragic death. Reckless and extravagant in his
earlier years, the Queen seems to have " pulled him
up " by declaring that, despite her past favours, she
would " know him no more till he knew himself."
He determined to reform ; and, to cut himself adrift
from old associations, and become " a thrifty im
prover of his estate," he went on a Continental tour;
this was the " absence " alluded to in the " Publisher
to the Reader " (p. 86). He returned in 1566, on the
death of his father, and was in 1567 completely rein
stated in the royal favour. [For exhaustive memoir
see Shakspeare Society's edition of Gorboduc.]
SEAT, " this is a pleasant city, The seat is good "
(D. 226), site, position, situation. " This castle hath
a pleasant seat." — Shakspeare, Macbeth (1606), i. 6.
SHARP, "doth sharp the courage" (G. 97^), quicken,
make keen, sharpen. " To sharpe my sence." —
Spenser, To the Ladies of the Court.
SHORT HORSE, " a short horse soon curried " (D. 20^),
see Heywood, Works (E.E.D.S.), n. 236, 1740.
SITH (passim), since.
SORT, " the unchosen and unarmed sort " (G. 1426),
company, multitude. " Cyaxares — kept a sort of
Scytmans with him, only for thus purpose, to teach
his son Astyages to shoote."— Ascham, Toxoph. (1544).
p. 14.
igo Note-Book and Word-List [SQUARE
SQUARE, " out of square " (D, 5ia), uneasy, troubled :
see other volumes of this series.
SQUIRRILITY, "servile squirrility " (D. 6d) — "fountains
of squirrility " (D. 460!), scurrility.
STERN, " a ship without a stern " (G. itfc), rudder.
" And how he lost his steresman, Which that the
sterne, or he tooke keepe Smote ouer the bord as he
sleepe. " — Chaucer, Hous of Fame, ii.
SWAP, " chill swap't off by and by " (D. 560), i.e. toss
it off, gulp it down.
THANK, " ken [or con] me thank " (D. 46*;), see other
volumes of this series.
THIK, " a murrain take thik wine " (D. 57^), this : a
dialectical form.
THRUST, " you thrust my guiltless blood to have "
(D. 39&), thirst : Chaucer uses this form (Nares).
TOOTH AND NAIL, " assuring . . . both with tooth and
nail " (D. 86), in earnest, to the utmost. " Fight
with toothe and nayle." — Jyl of Brentford's Testa
ment (1550), 23 (Furnivall).
TORUP, " torup men for every trifle " (D. 570), probably
Grim's bemused way of saying interrupt.
TOYS (passim), trifles, whims, fancies, conceits : see
Slang and Its Analogues, s.v. Toy.
TWAY, " tway hours " (D. 530), two.
TWICH-BOX (D. 5 id), for touch-box : " a receptacle for
lighted tinder carried by soldiers for matchlocks "
(Halliwell). " When she his flask and touch-box set
on fire." — Letting of Humours, &c. (1600).
TWINK, " with a twink " (G. 134^), twinkle.
UNHAPS, " the hugy heaps of these unhaps " (G. 1486),
misfortunes.
URE, " brought in ure of skilful stayedness " (G.
use, practice : see other volumes of this series.
ZONAM] Note-Book and Word-List 191
VAIN, " chuld vain learn that" (D. 6ib), fain.
VARIORUM READINGS, see Damon and Pithias.
VARLET, " varlet dyed in grain" (D. gc), a rogue in
deed: cf. "Knave in grain." A parallel passage
occurs in Fulwell's Like Will to Like (E.E.D.S.),
2oa : " There thou mayst be called a knave in grane,
And where knaves be scant thou mayst go for
twayne."
VINTRY, " Three Cranes of the Vintry " (D. 68c), or
New Queen Street. Dekker (Belman of London, £2)
mentions it as a rendezvous for beggars. " From
thence shoot the bridge child, to the Cranes of the
Vintry, And see there the gimblets how they make
their entry ! " — Tonson, Devil is an Ass (1616), i. i.
VOR, for : see Cha.
VORTY (D. 540), forty : see Cha.
Vox (D. 586), fox : see Cha.
WASHING-BALL (D. 626), a kind of cosmetic used in
washing the face (Halliwell).
WATER, (a) " a pot with -water " (D. 616), wine is
meant.
(&) see Pitcher.
WATER-BOUGETS (550), vessels anciently used by soldiers
for carrying water in long marches and across deserts ;
and also by water-carriers to convey water from the
conduits to the houses of the . .citizens.
YORK, see Hog's flesh.
ZONAM, see Variorum Readings to Damon and Pithias.
K. CLAY AND SONS, LTD., BREAD ST. HILL, E.G., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
VV*'
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PR Edwards, Richard
2499 The dramatic writings of
E^Al Richard Edwards
1906
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